Drowning Warning To North East Clubbers

There is a warning to party-goers returning to university in the North East this term, over the dangers of walking near water on a night out.

The Royal Life Saving Society are launching their ‘Don’t Drink and Drown’ campaign and say 1 in 4 adults that drown has alcohol in their bloodstream.

It follows the deaths of Durham students Euan Coultard, Luke Pearce and Sope Peters who all lost their lives within 18 months of each other.

Di Steer is from Durham and is the CEO of the group and told us one the biggest issues is students travelling from all over the country who do not live near water or have those dangers back home.

“We know that when people have been drinking, their orientation isn’t as good as it might be. If students are in a strange city it’s obviously not as easy for them to find their way home, or know the right ways to walk, or the safe ways to get back to where they are staying”.

Durham University say ahead their induction week is an opportunity to give advice about staying safe to new students who may be living away from home for the first time.

This includes:

• Briefings on personal safety - which include responsible drinking and getting home safely - are delivered by colleges in partnership with the Police and Fire Service.

• College handbooks including student safety messages and advice are given out to new students.

-Guides about living in the community which include core student safety messages are sent to returning students.

In addition, a number of schemes are now in place to help students to stay safe.

The University has jointly funded river improvement works recommended by the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The University continues to emphasise three key safety messages to all students:

· If you choose to drink alcohol, please do so responsibly

· Stay with your friends and do not go home alone

· Stick to lit areas and do not walk along the river banks in the dark at night