A NATIONAL accident prevention charity is urging the public to be extra vigilant in water this summer.
With the holidays now here and scorching temperatures set to continue, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has advised people, particularly young men, to be careful in and around water.
Dave Walker, RoSPA’s leisure safety manager, said: “We understand the temptation to want to go swimming at open water sites, especially on a sunny day.
“But it is important to consider that even on a hot day the water might be a lot colder or deeper than you were expecting and there may be under water debris that you cannot see from the bank.”
Last year, a total of 381 people drowned in accidents – including water related deaths from natural causes - across the UK.
Figures show 185 of these were in inland waters including canals, rivers and lakes and that on average about 40 people who go to inland sites to jump, swim or play in water die every year.
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