Swimming
A guide to Staying SAFE around water this summer By Claire Harrison, Swimming Rocks
With the school holidays just around the corner and many of you looking forward to your summer holidays, weekends away and trips to the seaside, it’s sensible to turn our attention to keeping your family safe around water.
O
ften the excitement of these trips can mean that normal safety actions are not followed and the temptation to just jump in before weighing up the risks can often lead to accidents.
According to the Royal Life Saving Society, “On average, more than 400 people drown in the UK each year. Nearly 60 of these are children and young people and the risks are even greater on holiday”. We believe that if you understand the risks that water can hold, be as knowledgeable and as prepared as possible, you can keep your family safe this summer whilst having some super splashing fun!
Here are our guidelines to staying safe this summer… • Keep young children under constant supervision, it doesn’t take much water depth to get into trouble and in any case, it’s more fun to swim together! • Learn to swim—improve your confidence and learn some skills before you go. Many swim schools have 5 day crash courses in the school holidays as well as weekly term time lessons. And remember lessons are not just for babies and children, adults can benefit from a bit of guidance too. • Look for Lifeguards—a safe pool or beach will always have one on duty. They will be trained about the water risks in a given environment and will give you added reassurance for your family. • Follow the pool rules and signs—never dive into a shallow pool and make sure that you are aware of water flow, temperature and layout.
24 Families South West • June 2018
• Never swim alone—and make sure that you know where your family is at all times.
• Know the S-A-F-E Code S – Spot Danger
• Don’t use inflatables in the sea—they are a well-known hazard and can easily drift out or get caught in strong currents. • Be aware of the beach flags and signs—keep to the safe areas and know when the tides are coming in and out. Dangerous rip-tides are a big threat so follow the advice offered. • Swim parallel to the shore and keep away from rocky areas. • If you get into trouble in water—wave your hand and shout loud but try and stay calm. The current advice is to float on your back to conserve energy. • Drowning does not look like it does in the movies. It can be silent and you need to be aware of the signs. RLSS.org.uk is a wealth of information. • Take a first aid course. There are lots of paediatric courses on offer. It could save a life • Use floatation aids if you need to—they may not be used in your swimming lessons, but they can offer reassurance when on holiday. We LOVE Swim Fins (https://swimfin.co.uk) which are fun for kids too.
A – Follow Advice F – Stay close to Family members or Friends E – shout for help and know the Emergency numbers for where you are
Now you know how to be safe…. pack your bags, slap on the sunscreen and HAVE FUN! Swimming Rocks offer swimming lessons 7 days a week in venues across London. They are offering all Families readers 10% off any 5 day summer crash course. Quote FAM10 to claim this offer.
Follow them on Instagram for helpful advice, news and stories @swimmingrockslondon #swimmingrockslondon www.swimmingrocks.co.uk Tel: 07557 051 904 info@swimmingrocks.co.uk Drowning prevention week is 15th – 25th June 2018 www.rlss.org.uk for more information
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