Police forces, fire brigades and councils will ramp up safety patrols around bathing spots after 12 people died in open waters across the UK amid this week’s heatwave.
A 16-year-old boy became the 12th person to die after getting into difficulty in the water at Bracklinn Falls, near Callander in Stirlingshire, on Thursday.
His body was recovered after police arrived at the site shortly after 6:45pm.
On Wednesday, the body of a boy, 15, was recovered from a pond in Swanscombe, Kent, and a 14-year-old boy, named locally as Baltazar L’Quy, also died in the River Thames in Oxford.
There were also fatalities in Lincoln, Halifax, Rotherham, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Farnborough and Lancashire, along with a man in his 60s in Cornwall and a woman in her 70s in Wales.
Following the deaths, police forces, fire brigades and councils across the country told The i Paper they will increase patrols around bathing hotspots to prevent further deaths, while also ramping up educational campaigns – including those targeting schools – to warn of the dangers of swimming in open water.
Asked what measures Thames Valley Police intends to take following the death of the 15-year-old boy in Oxford, a spokesperson for the force said: “We will be increasing visibility in main swimming spots around the Thames Valley following the tragic deaths in water recently.
“While we understand the desire to go open water swimming, it can be dangerous due to cold water shock, so please consider using supervised venues instead.”
Following the recovery of the body of a teenage boy who reportedly went missing after going swimming in Hawley Lake near Farnborough, Rushmoor Borough Council said it will liaise with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as part of its bid to improve water safety in the area.
“We have a lot of Ministry of Defence land in and around Rushmoor, so we will seek to engage the MoD and other partners to see if there is any further that can be done to help improve safety in the area,” the council said.
Wiltshire Police also said that more adults and young people have been visiting a local swimming hotspot known as Keevil’s Weir near Castlefields Park.
“Due to the increase in visitors to our waterways, and with the school holidays approaching, we will be increasing patrols in this and other locations,” said Mark Cook, a Wiltshire Police community support officer.
A spokesperson for Cleveland Fire Brigade also told The i Paper it is exploring the reintroduction of seasonal patrol activity at known swimming hotspots.
“The recent water-related tragedies are a stark reminder of the dangers associated with open water, particularly during periods of warmer weather when more people are drawn to rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the coast,” the spokesperson said.
“In light of the increased focus on water safety, the Brigade is also exploring the reintroduction of seasonal patrol activity at known water safety hotspots.
“Historically, this activity has combined community safety engagement with operational water rescue training, helping to maintain operational readiness while providing a visible presence in areas where there may be an increased risk to the public.”
Following the death of a 16-year-old in a lake at Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire, Rotherham Council said it had “increased the number of regular security patrols and staffing for park maintenance”.
“However, we continually review safety arrangements and we will be speaking with partners and local representatives about whether any further measures can be put in place as we go into the summer months,” said Andrew Bramidge, executive director of regeneration and environment at the council.
Hampstead Heath’s park rangers were also spotted setting up new signs warning against swimming in undesignated areas after crowds of swimmers invaded the ponds in the north London park to cool down.
While Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service does not carry out patrols, it vowed to review and develop its educational campaigns to prevent water-related deaths following the recent string of incidents.
A spokesperson for the service said: “Our focus remains on education, prevention and community engagement, including delivering water safety sessions in schools and communities across Cheshire, sharing safety messaging, and supporting multi-agency work through the Cheshire Water Safety Group.
“We are continually reviewing and developing our prevention and engagement work to identify new ways of reaching communities and helping to reduce water-related incidents and deaths.”
The London Fire Brigade also said it will be “stepping up our messaging and encouraging local authorities to ensure the waterways in their boroughs are safe as we head into the summer months”.
“We also have a number of targeted events planned over the summer to help ensure Londoners know how to stay safe while spending time near water,” the brigade said.
