Fire chiefs urge parents to speak to young people after four teenagers drown over bank holiday weekend
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has issued an urgent water safety warning as hot weather continues across the half term holidays, following four confirmed drownings of teenagers in inland water over the bank holiday weekend.
Fire chiefs said the incidents were a “stark reminder” of the dangers posed by open water, with rivers, lakes, quarries, canals and reservoirs attracting more visitors during periods of warm weather.
The NFCC warned that despite high air temperatures, water in open environments can remain dangerously cold, increasing the risk of cold water shock, which can affect breathing and movement within seconds.
Emergency services often see a rise in water-related incidents during warmer weather, with officials warning that many people underestimate the dangers of open water. Hidden currents, submerged objects and sudden drops can pose serious risks, even for strong swimmers used to pools rather than open water conditions.
Research released by Bournemouth University in 2024 found that when UK average maximum air temperatures reach or exceed 25°C, the risk of accidental drowning increases fivefold compared to days averaging 10°C. The analysis also showed three times as many accidental drowning fatalities occur on days where temperatures reach 25°C or higher compared with the seasonal average.
Gavin Ellis, NFCC drowning prevention lead, said: “No family should have to experience the devastation of losing a loved one in the water. We know that warm weather encourages people to visit rivers, lakes and reservoirs, but these places can be extremely dangerous.
“Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how confident they feel in the water. Jumping into open water can cause an involuntary gasp response, panic and loss of swimming ability almost immediately, which is why we urge people not to swim in unsupervised locations during this hot weather.
“We’re asking parents and carers to have open conversations with children and teenagers about the risks, and for young people to look after each other and make safe decisions around water. These incidents can happen very quickly, but many are preventable.”
The NFCC is urging families to follow water safety advice during the warm weather, including swimming only in supervised locations, avoiding jumping into water to cool off and never entering the water to attempt a rescue.
People spending time near water are also encouraged to install location apps such as what3words to help emergency services identify their location quickly in the event of an incident.
Fire chiefs are also reminding the public of the “Phone, Float, Throw” advice if they see someone in trouble in the water:
- Phone 999 immediately.
- Encourage the person to float on their back.
- Throw them something that floats.
The NFCC is also promoting the “Float to Live” guidance for anyone who gets into difficulty in the water, advising people to tilt their head back with ears submerged, relax to control breathing, move their hands to stay afloat and call for help or swim to safety once the initial shock passes.