Record temperatures could result in more drownings

Life saving charities are warning that the record temperatures predicted for the next few days could lead to more drownings as people flock to water.

The Royal Life Saving Society has urged people to consider their safety before they attempt to cool down in rivers, lakes and in the sea.

Temperatures in the UK and across Europe are set to once again surpass expectations this week, and hazardous records are already being broken on beaches as people get into difficulties in the water.

Since the heatwave began, the RNLI Lifeboat at Weston Super Mare has launched more than 20 times.

In previous years, the boat has totalled between 40 and 50 launches across the whole year – meaning the vessel has reached almost half its annual average launch rate in the past six weeks alone.

Similarly, Eastbourne RNLI have been incredibly busy during the heatwave, especially since the start of the school holidays.

They have had over 110 launches so far this year. In 2017, the total was 140 launches for the whole year.

“It directly correlates to the hot weather,” Joe Mitchell RNLI lifeguard supervisor at Pelham Beach in Hastings told Sky News.

“If it was raining, the only people you would get to go into the water would be surfers, kite surfers or open water swimmers – people who are prepared for going in to the water.

The issue is people who aren’t prepared. Often drowning happens unexpectedly.

“A lot of people who drown didn’t even intend on going into the water in the first place… it’s slips, trips and falls round the coastline.”

Figures show that last year there were 242 accidental drownings. Men are almost six times more likely than women to drown accidentally, with the most most at risk group being males between the ages of 25 and 29.

With lifeguards on duty at 249 beaches, most of the fatalities take place in rivers and lakes unsupervised.

Three years ago next week, 20 year old Michael Scaife drowned whilst swimming with friends in the Jubilee River near Slough.

His father Mark has been campaigning ever since and has successfully pushed authorities to add warning signs and rename the bridge his son was jumping from to help prevent more deaths.

However, last month two more young men died swimming just a few hundred meters downstream.

“It’s sad that the warning signs are there but people are ignoring them,” he told Sky News. “They’re there for a reason. People need to read them, take notice of them, stay out of the rivers and swim where it’s safe to swim.”

Mr Scaife is one of a number of grieving parents calling for better education in schools around the dangers of wild swimming.

“Me and his mum miss him,” he said. “Just don’t go in the river. At the end of the day if something does happen to you it’s your family that’s picking up the piece after and having to deal with it and it’s the worst thing ever.”

(c) Sky News 2018: Record temperatures could result in more drownings