Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC), David Allen is raising awareness for Drowning Prevention Day and encouraging as many people as possible to attend the Bluelight Day at Whitehaven Harbour on Saturday 26 July from 1-4pm.
The World Health Organisation's campaign for Drowning Prevention Day 2024 is ‘Seconds Can Save a Life’. It may only take a few seconds for drowning to occur but by following some small, simple actions, you can save a life.
These simple actions include:
- Putting on a lifejacket before getting on a boat, paddleboard, Kayak or any craft on the water
- Telling someone before you leave for a swim or boating excursion
- Volunteering to join your friend for a swim, rather than letting them go alone.
- Checking the weather conditions
- Choosing not to consume alcohol or drugs before entering the water
- Keeping an eye on your children while they play in the water
During the Bluelight ‘Drowning Prevention Day’ there will be opportunities to view various lifeboats from Workington and St Bees, live waterborne rescue demonstrations, water safety advisers to answer any questions, a historical display of RNLI memorabilia at the Beacon, live music from the Sea Shanty group and the Coastguard, Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance Service, Police, Wasdale Mountain Rescue, Maryport Rescue, and Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners are also attending.
Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC), David Allen comments: “I hope as many people of possible can attend the Bluelight services ‘Drowning Prevention’ event on Saturday at Whitehaven harbour, as there will be some really good opportunities to learn from our emergency support organisations.
“When in and around water, people often overestimate their ability, ignore weather forecasts, and think their swimming skills alone will save them.
“Drowning is sudden, abrupt, and shocking. So much can happen in a single moment. But with the right awareness and actions, what happens in those seconds can also be changed for the better.
"As a rural county, every year we welcome visitors from far and wide. This means people often use our county’s lakes, rivers and sea, who are not accustomed to the dangers that come with them. The temperature of the water is cold enough to induce the effects of cold-water shock, even in summer and people tend to overestimate their swimming abilities.
"The key water safety advice ‘float to live’ is a vital message. When experiencing cold-water shock, you must fight your instinct to swim hard and thrash about, as this can lead to breathing in water and drowning. Instead, relax and float on your back until you have regained control of your breathing.
“In the 200th anniversary year of the RNLI, it’s important that we raise awareness of drowning, improve our water safety messages and reduce as many preventable deaths and injuries as possible.
“As your Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, my role is to be the voice of residents within Cumbria, in respect of the Police and Fire services – I am your voice. If any member of the public has a concern about crime in their area, or around the Constabulary or Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, please raise it with me at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or call 01768 217734.”
Andrew Lowes, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s Station Manager for Prevention, said: “World Drowning Prevention Day is an opportunity for our Service to remind our residents and visitors of the importance of staying safe on and around our waters.
“Our teams carry out frequent water safety sessions in schools and community groups across the county, to share important safety advice, and how to react if someone gets into difficulty on the water, and we encourage everyone to visit Whitehaven Harbour to learn all they can about water safety from the range of partners in attendance.
“For more information on water safety, visit www.cumbriafire.gov.uk/water-safety.”
Tim Chittenden, Workington RNLI lifeboat operations manager, said: "We wanted to take this opportunity to mark the 200th anniversary of the RNLI and celebrate our colleagues who are part of other volunteer emergency services.
"We are looking forward to welcoming as many people as possible to our event and showing the capabilities of what our volunteers and boats can do."
If you wish to report to police you can do so online at Report a crime | Cumbria Police. You can also phone on 101. Always phone 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.