In this current hot weather, people are often tempted to cool down by taking a swim in reservoirs or rivers.
However, cold water can be a killer and we'd like to raise awareness of these risks amongst your school community.
Cold water shock can lead to hyperventilation, increased blood pressure, breathing difficulties and heart attacks plus water temperatures remain just as cold in summer as in winter.
We are supporting the ‘Float to Live’ safety message from the Royal National Life Saving Institute (RNLI). In their hard-hitting video, they deliver advice on how to react should you become stricken in cold water.
Everyone who falls unexpectedly into cold water wants to follow the same instinct, to swim hard and to fight the cold water. But when people fight it, chances are, they lose. Cold water shock makes you gasp uncontrollably and breathe in water, which can quickly lead to drowning.
If students find themselves unexpectedly in the water, the message is to float until the cold water shock has passed and they will be able to control their breathing and have a far better chance of staying alive.
It is important that we share water safety advice with our young people to prevent further incidents occurring.
