Visitors warned over water safety at Cambridgeshire hotspots
Anglian Water is expecting a rise in demand this week
As this week's mini heatwave continues, people across Cambridgeshire thinking about visiting rivers, lakes and water parks are urged to do so safely.
An amber heat health warning's been issued until Sunday for the East of England with temperatures due to reach around 30 degrees or more.
It comes as the hottest temperatures of 2023 could be seen this week, with the Met Office prediction today’s maximum temperatures could match this year’s record of 32.2C in June.
Angela Tarry is the general manager of Anglian Water’s parks team, which looks after Grafham Water:
“We do experience higher numbers of people swimming in the water where they shouldn’t be,” she said.
“This is potentially dangerous for themselves and could put them in a difficult situation which may involve the emergency services being called.
“We encourage everybody to stay safe on our parks and that involves only swimming in designated areas when there is a supervised lifeguard on duty.”
Figures from The Water Incident Database showed four people lost their lives in Cambridgeshire's waterways in 2022.
In total, 597 people died in UK waters last year, with 226 of those deaths being accidental drownings.
Almost half (46%) of all UK accidental drownings last year took place in the summer months of June, July and August, when the hot weather led to many people taking a swim in local lakes, rivers and reservoirs.
And those tempted to cool off in the water this week are being given advice:
“If you see somebody swimming in an area that they shouldn’t, we’d advise you inform a member of staff who can deal with that situation,” Ms Tarry said.
“Also drink plenty of water; it is going to be a hot few days.
“We will see more demand on our services so we will be keeping a strong eye out for anyone that’s getting into difficulties on the water parks, so it is important to stay safe.”
#GetWaterWise
Two years ago we launched our own #GetWaterWise campaign to try and highlight the issue of accidental drownings and try and prevent further tragedies.
Our campaign is raising awareness of the risks posed by entering open water, and what safety tips you need if you see someone who is struggling in the water.
Our #GetWaterWise minute was played on radio stations across the country, along with Greatest Hits Radio, to provide a platform for families who've lost loved ones to speak directly to listeners about their experience.