Emergency services in North Yorkshire issue water safety advice
June is traditionally the busiest month for call outs
Strong safety advice is being issued today as we head into June which last year saw more water-related deaths in the UK than any other month with 28 lives tragically lost.
Annual figures released by the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) reveal that accidental drownings in 2023 rose to 236 – ten more than 2022.
The 2023 Water Incident Database (WAID) figures also show that once again most accidental deaths in water occurred inland – 63% were in rivers, canals, lakes, reservoirs and quarries – and males are still the overwhelmingly majority of victims – 83%.
David Wilson is an operational manager at York Rescue Boat: "Last year we were called out to reports of 27 people in the river, out of that we managed to save seven lives but out of that sadly there was one fatality included within the York area."
"If you see someone in the water, to start with tell somebody, somebody around you, phone 999 or if it's on the Coast, it's ask for the Coastguard, if it's inland phone fire and rescue. Tell the person in the water to turn onto their back, float to live, that means their airwaves will be clear."
He also says it's really important not to go in after them: "If we can have someone that is on the river bank telling us exactly what has gone on, exactly when the person went in it makes our life so much easier, if the person is still on the bank and then we will do our best to rescue the person in the water."