ONE in five people who use Windermere would not know who to contact in an emergency on the lake, a survey has found.

Nineteen per cent did not know about the lake wardens, rangers service or the need to contact the Coastguard, the figures show.

The findings were discussed at a meeting of South Lakeland District Council’s lake administration committee in Kendal.

Committee member Cllr Mark Wilson told the meeting he was “very concerned” by the lack of safety awareness of people using England’s longest lake.

Cllr Wilson, the Labour member for Ulverston East, said: “I think this is something we need to get out to people.

“I know there are signs up around the lake for people to see what you should do in an emergency but it’s important that we do let them know who they need to contact.

“We need reassurances because if you extrapolate that 20 per cent to the thousands of people who use the lake every year, there might be a high level of ignorance out there who need to be informed,” he said.

The survey found, however, that the vast majority of Lake users – equivalent to 77 per cent of those taking part – did know what to do in an emergency.

Of those who had needed help in the last four years, 78 per cent described the rescue and recovery service as “excellent”.

A total of 14.6 per cent said it was “good” with just one person calling it poor.

Frankie Flannigan, SLDC’s principal lake and parking services officer, said safety for lake users was a priority for him.

He said: “It’s a message we will keep hammering.”

A quarter of those taking part had needed help after their boats broke free or required emergency attention.

Mr Flannigan explained: “You get boats breaking free because of storms, bad weather or freak winds. Two or three years ago we had 26 off in one day. Now it is down to ones and twos, which is very good.”

The meeting was told there is no legal requirement for people to wear lifejackets or buoyancy aids on Windermere.

However, a number of “life jacket clinics” were held on the lake in partnership with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution to encourage usage.

The figures were contained in a new Lake Windermere Services User survey, carried out between May and August.

The survey is conducted every four years and the latest attracted 274 responses.

That was significantly down on the 529 who completed it in 2014, the meeting was told. The committee agreed to note the report.