Information to prevent future deaths

News, information and campaign information related to the Tees CDOP can be found here.

Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) – Water Safety Campaign

As part of their Water Safety campaign, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) had issued a safety warning coming up from their latest Child Drowning Update using evidence from NCMD.

The recent report reveals that 125 children have drowned in the past four years, with 51 incidents occurring at home—primarily during bath time and involving children under five.

The report emphasizes the importance of adult supervision, as 86% of cases involved unsupervised children.

Please see the attached Safety Warning for Health and Care Professionals with the full list of key messages that we encourage you to share within your networks.

Frozen Water Safety

It can be tempting to walk or play on frozen water, but the ice can easily break and it is never clear how thick the ice is.

If the ice breaks and you or someone you are with falls in, the temperature of the water can lead to cold water shock (an involuntary response which seriously affects your movement and breathing.

The water temperature can lead to hypothermia, a serious reduction in your body temperature, which can cause heart failure. This can happen to even the strongest swimmers.

If you see someone in trouble, DO NOT ENTER THE WATER! Call 999 immediately and try and reach them with an object from dry land.

Please take notice of the warnings and stay off the ice! 

  • Never venture onto frozen water. Even if it appears thick from the bank, it can become thinner very quickly and there is no way of knowing if it will support your weight.
  • Adults – set a good example to children by staying off the ice.
  • If a dog or other animal ventures onto the ice, or falls through it, do not go onto the ice to rescue it – you are likely to end up in the freezing water.
  • Never throw sticks or balls onto the ice for your dog – keep them on a lead near frozen water. Over 50% of ice related drownings involve the attempted rescue of a dog!
  • If you do see a person or animal in trouble in icy water, stay on the bank and phone 999. If you can reach the person with a branch, clothing tied together or other items then you could try to do so but stay firmly on the bank.
  •  Do not become a victim – phone 999!

For further information and advice - https://staywise.co.uk/home