Fire Service urges people to stay safe in and around the water during warm weather

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service is encouraging people to safely enjoy themselves in and around the water during the warm weather this week.

The Met Office has forecast that temperatures in the county will be more than 20 degrees Celsius until Friday, peaking at almost 27 degrees on Thursday.

The warm weather may lead to people choosing to go swimming in open water to cool down from the heat, and the Service is reminding people of the dangers that open water can pose.

While the sun may be out, water can still be below 15 degrees Celsius, and this can be enough to put your body into cold water shock and increase the risk of drowning.

Crews from the Service will be out and about promoting water safety across the county this week, including our Daventry crew, who will be at Daventry Country Park from 2pm on Friday (May 2), where they will also demonstrate how crews respond to danger in the water.

Here are 10 top tips on how to stay safe while swimming in the open water and avoid any incidents:

1. Get to know where you are swimming and check the condition before going in.
2. Make sure you are properly equipped and beware of the cold.
3. Make sure you have someone to accompany you, and that other people know where you have gone and why.
4. Take note of local safety advice and respect the countryside, landowners and other users.
5. Make sure you have the means to call for help, especially in remote locations.
6. Download the what3words app on your phone so you can give specific location advice to emergency services if you get into trouble.
7. If you get stuck in the water with cold body shock, try and float on your back in a star shape and allow the shock to pass. Do not try and fight against it.
8. If you see another person or animal in the water, you should NOT enter water yourself to rescue them. Call 999 and ask for the fire service immediately.
9. In most cases an animal will make it back to safety, sadly this is not always the case for an owner.
10. Try and throw a floating device such as a throw line or an inflatable to help any people who are struggling in the water.

Darren Carson, Prevention Team Leader at Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We know everyone will want to go out and enjoy the warm weather, but it’s important also that people – especially young people – understand the risk that swimming in the open water can pose, even on really hot days.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s almost 30 degrees outside, open water can still be freezing and send your body into water shock, which can lead to tragic consequences.

“We would always encourage people to go to supervised open water swimming locations in the county, and these can be found easily online. But if people do choose to swim in open water, we would always urge them not to go alone, and if they get into trouble in the water, to try and float like a star until the water shock has passed.”

This week also marks Be Water Aware Week, a dedicated week aimed at promoting water safety.

For even more water safety tips, please visit www.northantsfire.gov.uk/safety/waterandboatsafety and Top Recommendations for Safer Open Water Swimming | Royal Life Saving Society UK ( RLSS UK )

You can find out more about how our crews train to assist people in the water by watching the video below.