North Yorkshire Fire Service joins water safety campaign
It follows a number of drownings from open water swimming last year.
After a shocking number of deaths in open water last summer - North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service is joining a mass awareness drive to help save lives
The "Be Water Aware" campaign reminds people about the dangers of this kind of swimming - and urges people to call emergency services - if they find themselves in difficulty.
In 2020, an 18 year-old man drowned at Linton Falls near Grassington.
Adam Farrow, from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue service, said: "If you are going to go into water, you should do it safely. If things do go wrong, there is advice about how to raise an emergency service to come and help you, whether that's the fire service if it's inland, or the coastguard if it's at the coast.
"People are often not aware of the consequences of jumping into cold water. It's got really negative health implications - even for people who are fit and healthy, cold water has sometimes proved fatal.
"We're raising that awareness through social media, through campaigns, through face to face contact at events - and at schools, we specifically try to target Key Stage 3, where some of these young adults are going into water with their friends and they may not be aware of the hazards."
Adam says some safety measures have been put in place at Linton Falls: "We've done some real quality water safety engagement - we've put up reach poles, throw lines and water safety information signs."