Heatwave water deaths - campaign required

[aurpod1980]

I saw the tragic news of two more lives lost in the heatwave, in water.

I believe there needs to be some sort of National campaign to warn people of the dangers of open water on hot days - or any day.

so many lives lost.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0p7j3lwepo

The powers that be might be starting to see what's required. I've just read on the local new website that the council have launched an anti knife crime campaign with a 44 second music video featuring a cool looking young man talking about the consequences of knife crime. So they just need to do one featuring a boy in a wheelchair at the graveside of his mate after they both got into trouble jumping into a flooded quarry. And get it all over Tiktok.

@NameChangeMay2026 I do always wonder how people drown if they can swim. It's not like the Thames has big waves and tides. Did they get cold-water shock?

My teenage daughter and I are strong swimmers and often swim out to the furthest point allowed when swimming in the sea, but two years ago in the sea in Italy - we swam out quite far from shore in lovely conditions and then SUDDENLY (literally within a matter of seconds) the weather turned, the sky turned very grey and the sea angry with huge waves and pushing us away from the shore - it was utterly terrifying and it's very lucky we made it back.

Another example was in one of those on-sea inflatable waterparks in Spain. My daughter had to dive UNDER the inflatable to get back on it (she was told to do this by one of the "life guards" who was loosely supervising people on the inflatablebles (absolutely xero safety measures and an accident waiting to happen). Anyway, she couldn't see in the dark when she dived under it and was trapped underneath when trying to get back up with absolutely no one noticing (including me as I was at shore). She was absolutely terrified she would drown but managed to find her way back up somehow from underneath the inflatable.

You will never stop teenagers from being reckless especially boys. At that age they think they are invincible.

I was once on a pedalo on a lake in Switzerland on a glorious day when similar happened and we really struggled to get back to shore. There were guys on a boat trying to round everyone up as we were pedalling on suddenly very choppy water.

They were drunk, it was dark (disorientation occurs) and the Thames has weeds which prevent easy movement so drunk swimmers get caught and tire very easily.

Whilst cold water shock seems to be a buzz term now, back in the 90s during life guard training we learnt that jumping into cold water from being hot makes people gasp, inhaling a load of water that then, even if "saved" can cause secondary drowning later on.
I don't know if that's "cold water shock" but it's definitely the shock caused by jumping into cold water.

I agree op. Some really terrifying ones like the Aussies used to do!

I think you are right.

I let my DS and DD go, but give them guidelines. Do not jump into the water, do not jump off anything. Do not drink them swim (drink after swimming) and stay where your feet touch the bottom. I've hammered these home but I'm still absolutely terrified.

A 12 year old lad died on Tue in the exact spot I'd been swimming with my DD the evening before. Heartbreaking and so worrying. But I'd rather send my kids out with permission and guidance than no knowledge at all.

I think that they should bring back the short "public information films" that they used to have between programmes.

There are so many things that my generation were made aware of:dangers of wild swimming, railway safety, including not ignoring the lights at level crossings, using fireworks safely, not crossing roads like a twat, cycle safety, how to behave around cattle or horses when out walking (and the importance of shutting farm gates), not going close to cliff edges etc.

I get particularly exercised by the cliff edges thing. I live in Sussex, and often walk along sections of the Seven Sisters. It's remarkable how many idiots ignore the warning signs and stand really close to the edge for photographs, or even sit on the edge with their legs dangling over. Every year, large amounts of those cliffs just fall off, they're really fragile. I don't even like walking along the beach close to the cliffs, because of the risk of a fucking great lump of chalk landing on me. These twats really are Darwin Award contenders.

This. 💯. There's a guy on tik tok warning teen boys, obviously catering to teenagers in the way he's dressed and talks etc. I showed my lad thinking he'd take more notice of him than me and got dismissed instantly 'i KNOW, mum!' 🤦🏻‍♀️😞

My son 14 is a Scuba Diver and to qualify he had to do training dives in a quarry near the lake District. It was during a long spell of very hot weather, he was wearing a dry suit and he couldn't believe how cold the water was. He said he could feel the layers, were it was warm on the surface then went freezing underneath. He even got an ice cream headache it was that cold. He couldn't imagine how it would feel jumping into that water without protective clothing on and said it would literally take your breath away

They did that when I was at school in the 60s (not me I couldn't swim). I think they had to take them off and inflate them like buoyancy aids.

I was on a beach were there were people barbecuing next to an overhang and a big sign saying 'Beware: falling rocks". They had laid out their equipment on previously fallen rocks. Adults with kids.

You clearly weren't living in South London where I lived in the 80s.

The Thames has incredibly strong currents, and tides!

Yeah I was at a beach where there were huge "no swimming" signs and the parents were letting their little kids swim while the parents sat gawping at their phones

I do a lot of river swimming.

rivers can have very powerful currents which often flow much stronger than anyone can swim against.

they also often have weeds etc.

one of the people who died was swimming at Ribchester in the ribble - the Ribble is a very strong river and Ribchester with the bridge it not a safe swimming spot.

locals go further up and are also wary of the currents.

I don’t know if they are just targeting people who live near the sea, or if it’s because of the heatwave, but there is currently a PSA campaign running about how to float if you fall in deep water.

I can’t tell if people seem to lack more common sense than in the past, or if it’s just that we get shown more news than ever before, so we hear about things that wouldn’t have been common knowledge before (or you’d have to buy a paper to find out). But from living near Beachy Head, I’d say it’s maybe the former. I can’t go up there anymore because people are stomach-lurchingly stupid. I’m in two minds about whether we should put big signs in nature spots warning people not to be stupid because we shouldn’t have to tell them, and yet it seems like we do need to tell them

It is sad to see teens dying in these accidents.

But it isn't just teens.

If it wasn't for the RNLI countless people would die off the Norfolk coast every year.

Wells Next the Sea - yes the place where absolute selfish thickos parked their cars in the emergency RNLI bays - at low tide there is miles and miles of golden sand, much of it accessed by wading over a channel. The channel from the quay. So obviously a channel deep enough to carry fishing boats etc at high tide. The sand is obviously covered at high tide, it isn't dry sand dunes.

There are notices at every entrance to the beach warning not to cross the channel and if you do come back before the tide turns They give the times, they sound a warning siren that can be heard for miles.

The RNLI are out constantly rescuing people - grown adults - who are cut off and up to their necks in rising water - often with kids. And no, you can't safely wade across a channel with a kid on your shoulders when the water is flowing so fast it will knock you off your feet. People are really totally stupid. Depending on the kindness of strangers - the volunteer services.

I can't remember the details, but there were adult males killed earlier this year when they were supposed to be sea swimming with an organised group. The weather was terrible and the group swim got cancelled but several of the group decided to go in anyway and IIRC more than one was killed.

It happens every year unfortunately and it’s usually boys/young men. They see their mates doing it, think it must be safe and then they’re the unlucky ones who don’t make it. They just seem to be completely unable to assess risk, even when warning signs are clearly displayed.

I do think we should bring back the public health warning films. I’m still terrified on train lines and pylons!