Assistant Chief Officer David McGown warns of the dangers water can present
Many people who accidently drown never intended to enter the water, statistics show. Over 300 people in the UK tragically die every year after tripping, falling or simply underestimating the risks of being near water. Now, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has joined forces with UK colleagues to raise awareness of the dangers.
The SFRS will help drive the Be Water Aware campaign which is being led by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).
Assistant Chief Officer of Prevention and Protection David McGown (above) said: “We want to prevent people from drowning and we are joining forces with partners wherever possible and appropriate to raise awareness of the very clear and significant dangers.
“Through our relentless prevention work we have successfully reduced the number of fire deaths and we will apply those very same principles to water safety.
“By supporting water safety and drowning week we hope to reduce the number of casualties and fatalities in Scotland.
“We want people to enjoy the summer season and to be safe.”
The Be Water Aware campaign will launch on April 23 and run until April 29.
NFCC Water Safety Lead, Dawn Whittaker, said “Most people would be shocked to hear that most of the people who drown only happen to be near water, for example runners, walkers and fisherman.
“They are unaware of the risks and are totally unprepared.
“By highlighting this issue and making sure simple safety messages reach them we hope to reduce the number of these needless deaths.”
Visit the water safety page for a series of tips to stay safe around water – /your-safety/water-safety.aspx
SFRS will also be posting on social media throughout the week using the hashtag #BeWaterAware
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