Keep secure this summer season – please don’t swim in open water

The warning comes as a part of World Drowning Prevention Day (Friday 25 July), which helps to spotlight the tragic and profound affect of drowning on households and communities and provide life-saving options to forestall it.

Sandwell has numerous open water together with lakes, swimming pools, ponds, canals and rivers, which may be significantly inviting in the course of the summer season months, and persons are typically tempted to swim in them.

Water might really feel heat on the floor, however just some toes under may be icy chilly, even within the scorching climate, and might in a short time trigger extreme cramp and hypothermia.

Young folks can typically misjudge their swimming capacity – they could view a river or lake as a tempting technique of cooling off however fail to understand the dangerous results that the chilly water can have on their stamina and power.

Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Sandwell Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community, stated: “Swimming in open water can shortly result in a tragedy. It’s vital to remind everybody – particularly our kids and youngsters – to remain secure this summer season and solely swim in purpose-built and supervised swimming swimming pools.

“We have some amazing swimming facilities to enjoy in Sandwell, including Sandwell Aquatics Centre. Our free swimming offer is open to young people during the school holidays and our older people all year round.”

This week, Sandwell Leisure Trust centres have used the final 10 minutes of every swimming lesson for swimmers to be taught important water security expertise, together with how you can float in an emergency. This is a part of a nationwide marketing campaign in partnership with Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), serving to youngsters achieve the data and confidence to remain secure in and round water.

Visit the council’s water security webpage and the RLSS UK website for water security recommendation.

West Midlands Fire Service’s website also has a range of advice.

The council presents free swimming at leisure centres with swimming swimming pools for:

• Sandwell youngsters aged 18 and beneath throughout faculty holidays throughout designated free swimming periods.
• Sandwell residents aged 60 and over earlier than 1pm each day.
• Sandwell residents who’re registered as disabled (for a move go to your nearest Sandwell leisure centre with a pool).

Visit our leisure centres webpage for extra data on free swimming.