Water Safety for Children and Adults: Why Swimming Lessons Matter All Year Round

Water Safety for Children and Adults: Why Swimming Lessons Matter All Year Round

When the weather gets hot, it is completely understandable that people are drawn to the water. Rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals and the sea can all look inviting, especially during a heatwave.

But this week in the UK has been a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly things can go wrong. During the recent heatwave, media reports have linked at least nine water-related deaths to incidents in lakes, rivers and coastal waters, including several young people. Official figures for this week may take time to confirm, but the message is already clear: water safety conversations cannot wait until the summer holidays.

Across the UK, drowning remains a serious issue every year. The latest figures from the National Water Safety Forum show that there were 193 accidental water-related fatalities in the UK in 2024, with inland waterways and males continuing to be significantly over-represented in the statistics.

These numbers are difficult to read, but they matter. Because water safety is not about stopping people from enjoying the water. It is about helping people understand the risks, make safer decisions and know what to do if something goes wrong.

What the Drowning Statistics Tell Us

The latest UK figures show that there were 193 accidental water-related fatalities in 2024. Of those, 84% were male, and inland waterways such as rivers, canals, lakes, reservoirs and quarries accounted for 61% of accidental deaths.

The figures also show why this conversation matters so much during warm weather. In 2024, May had the highest number of accidental water-related fatalities, with 28 lives lost, followed by August and July.

These are not just “swimming” statistics. Previous RNLI safety campaigns have highlighted that a significant number of people who drown had no intention of entering the water at all, with incidents linked to slips, trips and falls, being cut off by the tide, or being swept in by waves.

That means water safety is relevant to far more people than those who plan to go swimming. It matters for children playing near water, teenagers meeting friends, adults walking the dog, runners passing canals, paddleboarders, anglers, cold water swimmers, open water swimmers, parents, grandparents, and anyone spending time near rivers, lakes or the coast.

Open Water Is Not the Same as a Swimming Pool

One of the biggest misconceptions is that being able to swim in a pool means someone will automatically be safe in open water.

Swimming in a pool is controlled. You can usually see the bottom, the temperature is managed, the sides are close, and there are often lifeguards nearby.

Open water is different. It can be much colder than it looks, even on a hot day. There may be sudden drops, weeds, currents, hidden objects, slippery rocks, steep banks, sharp edges, deep sections or very limited places to get out.

And the risk is not limited to people who planned to swim. Someone can get into difficulty after slipping, falling, jumping, paddling, playing, walking too close to the edge, or trying to help someone else.

That does not mean open water should be feared. It means it should be respected.

It’s Not Just Swimming That Carries Risk

When we talk about water safety, it is easy to picture someone deliberately going for a swim. But many incidents do not start that way.

A child might be paddling. A teenager might be climbing on rocks or jumping in with friends. An adult might slip while walking near a riverbank, fall from a paddleboard, or get caught out by cold water, currents or the tide.

A slip, trip or fall can quickly turn into something much more serious, especially if the water is cold, deep, fast-moving, difficult to get out of, or there are hidden hazards below the surface.

Even a minor injury can change the situation. If someone slips on rocks, cuts themselves, twists an ankle, hits their head, or panics after falling in, they may struggle to stay calm, float, swim or get out safely.

That is why water safety is not only about “don’t go swimming there”. It is about helping people understand that being near water, playing in water, or making a quick decision to jump in can all carry risk.

Know What to Do: Float to Live

One of the most important messages to teach children, teenagers and adults is the RNLI’s Float to Live advice.

Source: RNLI

If you find yourself in difficulty in the water, your instinct may be to panic, kick hard, swim quickly or fight against the water. But that can use up energy and make breathing harder.

Instead, try to float.

Tilt your head back so your ears are in the water. Relax and try to breathe normally. Move your hands and feet gently if you need to help yourself stay afloat. It is fine if your legs sink; everyone floats differently. The aim is to stay calm, keep your airway clear, and give yourself time to get your breathing under control.

Once you feel calmer, you can call for help or swim to safety if you are able to.

This is a skill worth practising in a supervised place, such as a swimming pool. Children and adults should not just be told to float; they need the chance to feel what floating is like, learn how their body behaves in the water, and build confidence doing it.

If Someone Else Is in Trouble

Another message that matters is this: do not jump in to rescue someone.

That can be incredibly hard to hear, whether it is a child, friend, partner, parent or stranger in difficulty. But entering the water can put the rescuer in danger too.

Call 999 or 112. At the coast, ask for the Coastguard. Inland, ask for the Fire and Rescue Service. Tell the person in the water to float on their back and stay as calm as they can. If there is something nearby that floats, throw it to them.

That could be a life ring, a throwline, a ball, an empty cool box, or anything else that may help them stay above the water until help arrives.

The key message is: call, tell, throw. Do not go.

Talk About Water Safety Before the Hot Weather Arrives

One of the most useful things we can do is talk about water safety before people are already near the water.

For children and teenagers, these conversations need to happen calmly and regularly. Simply telling a teenager not to do something doesn’t always work; explain the reasons why. Talk about where they might be going, who they are with, and what they would do if someone got into difficulty.

For adults, the conversation matters too. Many adults underestimate the risk because they are confident, fit, sensible, or “only going for a walk”. But water-related incidents can happen after a slip, a fall, a sudden change in conditions, a cold water shock response, or an attempt to rescue someone else.

It is also worth being realistic. People do not always plan to swim. Sometimes water incidents happen when someone is out walking, meeting friends, cooling off, paddleboarding, fishing, running, exploring, or making a split-second decision. That is why water safety needs to be part of everyday conversations, not just something mentioned before a holiday.

The Water Safety Code

The Royal Life Saving Society UK promotes the Water Safety Code, which is simple, memorable and useful for children, teenagers and adults.

Stop and think. Take time to assess your surroundings, look for dangers and follow local signs and advice.

Stay together. Go with friends or family and choose lifeguarded places to swim whenever possible.

Call 999 in an emergency. If you are at the coast, ask for the Coastguard. If you are inland, ask for the Fire and Rescue Service.

Float. If you fall in or become tired, stay calm, float on your back and call for help. If someone else is in trouble, do not enter the water to rescue them. Call for help and throw something that floats.

These are simple messages, but they can save lives.

Why Swimming Lessons Aren’t Just for Children

Swimming lessons are often something people think about for children, especially just before the summer holidays. But water confidence and water safety matter at every age.

For children and teenagers, year-round lessons help build confidence, improve technique, develop stamina and teach important safety skills over time.

For adults, lessons can be just as valuable. Many adults never learnt to swim properly, feel anxious in deep water, avoid putting their face in, struggle with breathing, or can only swim a short distance before feeling tired. Others can swim, but do not feel confident in open water, around their children, or on holiday.

There is no shame in learning as an adult. In fact, it can be one of the most useful skills you ever develop.

Swimming lessons are not only about strokes and distance. Good swimming education helps people understand how to move safely, how to float, how to manage tiredness, and why different water environments carry different risks.

No lesson can remove every risk, and even strong swimmers need to respect open water. But regular swimming lessons give children, teenagers and adults more skills, more confidence and a better chance of making safer choices.

If you or your child only think about swimming in the weeks before summer, it may be worth thinking about swimming as a year-round life skill instead.

What Can We Do?

Start the conversation early. Do not wait until the first hot weekend or the day before a holiday. This is not just aimed at parents and carers either. If you are an aunt, uncle, grandparent, friend, teacher, coach, or someone who works with children, it is important to keep the conversation going.

Ask where people are going. If children or teenagers are heading out with friends, check whether water is nearby. If adults are going running, walking, paddleboarding, fishing or swimming, check they know the risks and have thought about safety.

Talk about peer pressure. Make it clear that saying no to jumping in or swimming somewhere unsafe is a strong decision, not an embarrassing one.

Choose lifeguarded venues. Where possible, swim at pools, supervised beaches or organised open water venues.

Practise floating. Floating on the back and staying calm can make a huge difference if someone gets into difficulty.

Remind people not to rescue by entering the water. If someone is struggling, call 999 and throw something that floats.

Keep swimming going throughout the year. Confidence, stamina and safety awareness are built over time.

A Final Word

Hot weather and water will always go together. People will want to cool off, meet friends, exercise, explore and enjoy themselves. That is normal.

But recent events have shown how quickly things can go wrong.

Water safety is not about removing fun. It is about giving people of all ages the knowledge, confidence and skills to enjoy the water more safely.

So talk about it. Keep talking about it. Choose safer places to swim. Learn the Water Safety Code. Practise Float to Live. And if you or your child are not currently in water safety swimming lessons, consider making swimming part of your year-round routine, not just something to think about when summer arrives.

Swimming is more than a sport. It is a life skill, at every age. At Swim Station you can make lessons a family trip - a lesson for mum/ dad/ grandma/ grandad before or after a children's lesson is a great way to build water confidence for everyone!