Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service is supporting World Drowning Prevention Day.
Today (July 25th) marks The World Health Organization’s World Drowning Prevention Day which aims to raise awareness of the of the hazards of water.
Drowning has caused more than 2.5 million deaths in the last decade and globally the highest drowning rates occur among children aged between one and four followed by children between five and nine-years-old.
The WHO are highlighting six main prevention methods which SFRS are embracing:
- Train bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation
- Set boating, shipping and ferry regulations
- Improve flood risk management
- Instal barriers controlling water access
- Provide safe places away from water for pre-school children with capable childcare
- Teach school age children basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills.
James Sutherland, Prevention Officer for Water and road safety, said: “We’ve seen an increase the number of water related incidents here in Shropshire and so these messages are now more important than ever. We’re proud to play our part in ensuring our community is safe.
“We recognise how important it is for our community members, particularly children, to know how to stay safe around water. We run regular throwline training sessions and visit schools to teach children about water safety and what to do if you see someone in distress in the water.”
For more information on water safety visit https://www.shropshirefire.gov.uk/water-safety.
