Last updated by charlotte.lang@essex.gov.uk on Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Did you also know that only 3 in 5 parents of children aged 8+ in the UK (62%) are confident that their child could self-rescue from open water?

With figures indicating that around 25% of primary school pupils leave school unable to swim, there is a real fear that as a result of the pandemic many more children will lack the ability or confidence to swim or self-rescue, should they find themselves in difficulty in the water.

As children (especially boys) enter their late teens, they become increasingly more likely to take risks, with more than 312 people accidentally drowning every year.

And for every drowning death that occurs, there are more than 10 near-drownings, with many of these leading to life-changing injuries.

For more information, and to find out how you can make sure your family enjoys water safely this summer: www.rlss.org.uk/DPW.