Healthcare professionals, emergency responders and search and rescue specialists from throughout the UK and Eire gathered on Tuesday, June 2 to share studying from real-life incidents and take a look at how one can enhance outcomes for folks concerned in drowning emergencies.
The occasion comes after a spell of heat climate through which quite a lot of folks have misplaced their lives in water-related incidents.
Newest figures from the Nationwide Water Security Discussion board’s water incident database present there have been 202 unintended water-related fatalities within the UK in 2025, many in inland waterways corresponding to rivers, lakes, canals and reservoirs.
Organisers stated this underlined the necessity for constant security messages as extra folks head open air over the summer season.
Keynote speaker Professor Mike Tipton MBE, one of many UK’s main consultants on drowning and chilly water immersion, outlined the impression of chilly water shock and the significance of easy, memorable recommendation for the general public.
Ross MacLeod, water security supervisor on the RNLI, careworn the charity’s Float to Stay steerage, which urges anybody who unexpectedly results in the water to drift on their again, management their respiratory and resist the urge to swim instantly.
The convention additionally heard a shifting contribution from Nicola Jenkins, founding father of the Open Water Schooling Community (OWEN), who spoke about dropping her son in an open water incident in 2017 and her work to enhance water security training in colleges and communities.
The Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is urging the general public to observe key water security recommendation this summer season.
This consists of understanding native hazards, avoiding water whereas drunk, and remembering the RNLI’s Float to Stay steerage in the event that they discover themselves in problem.