Authorities and water safety organisations have issued strong warnings about the dangers of swimming in open water following multiple fatalities during the recent heatwave.
The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) said warmer weather brings an increase in accidental drownings and urged people to take extra care. Most of the recent deaths involved children and young people, although the victims also included a man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s.
Rescue and police teams reported the following incidents during the hot spell:
– At Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln, 15-year-old Declan Sawyer was found dead after emergency crews responded to reports of him getting into difficulty.
– A 72-year-old woman was pulled from the water at West Angle Bay in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
– On Bank Holiday Monday, 13-year-old Reco Puttock was pronounced dead after being pulled from Leadbeater Dam in Halifax, West Yorkshire. A teenage girl’s body was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire, and a teenage boy’s body was recovered from a lake at Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
– Cheshire police found a body in Pickmere Lake while searching for a 17-year-old who went missing after swimming at the beauty spot.
A leading drowning-prevention network is urging people to swim only in supervised areas with lifeguards where possible, and to enter any open water slowly to reduce the risk of cold-water shock. Cold-water shock is the body’s automatic physiological reaction to sudden immersion in cold water: blood vessels in the skin constrict, resistance to blood flow increases, the heart must work harder and blood pressure can rise, and breathing can become difficult.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) notes that water below 15°C is classed as cold. Average sea temperatures around the UK and Ireland are about 12°C, and some rivers and inland waters can be colder even during summer, increasing the risk for swimmers who are unprepared.
Jim Bridge from the Water Safety Partnership, speaking to BBC Breakfast, advised those who get into trouble in the water to “float to live.” He explained the technique: lie on your back with your head tilted back, ears submerged, use your arms and legs to stabilise yourself, and allow your breathing to return to a normal pattern. When you feel steadier you can shout for help or attempt to swim to safety.
The warnings came as the UK experienced a brief period of exceptionally high temperatures. The Met Office recorded the hottest May day on Tuesday, with 35.1°C at Kew Gardens in London. Parts of south-east England exceeded 34°C for two days running, and many local weather stations across England and Wales recorded their highest May temperatures on Monday and Tuesday. The Met Office defines a heatwave as a period when an area reaches a sustained high temperature for at least three days in a row.
Officials reiterate that despite hot air temperatures, open water can remain dangerously cold. They ask people to choose lifeguarded sites where possible, avoid jumping into unknown water, never swim alone, supervise children closely, and be aware of how quickly conditions can change.
