Don't Drink and Drown Campaign – The NEN

Couple who lost son in tragic drowning incident support RLSS UK campaign

A couple who lost their son eight years ago this month is supporting The Royal Life Saving Society UK’s (RLSS UK) annual Don’t Drink and Drown campaign. The campaign aims to encourage those who have been drinking to be responsible for their friends after a night out, be a mate, and ensure they return home safely.

Don’t Drink and Drown was launched following multiple tragic and high-profile student drownings in 2014. It aims to ensure that people remain safe around water after a night out. In a sample of UK accidental drowning cases analysed by RLSS UK, figures revealed that 81% of those aged 16-25 who drowned under the influence of alcohol or drugs, weren’t with friends at the time of drowning[1].

Support for the initiative comes from Margaret and Duncan Spiers after their son Christopher, aged 28, tragically lost his life after returning alone from a night out in Glasgow. On 29 January 2016, Christopher, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, was walking near to the River Clyde in stormy weather when he slipped into the water and was swept down the river. Despite several rescue attempts, Christopher couldn’t be saved and drowned.

Speaking about the RLSS UK campaign, Duncan said: “We are happy to support such an important campaign. It is vital people don’t walk home near water after a night out, as there are so many dangers.

“We are pleased to work with the Royal Life Saving Society UK to raise awareness of its lifesaving work and I know we have its support which means so much.”

After losing their son to drowning in 2016, Margaret and Duncan founded Christopher’s Saving Lives Campaign in his memory and have since dedicated their lives to promoting water safety and awareness of the dangers of outdoors.

The couple, who also sit on the Scottish Parliament Community Safety Committee as Water Safety Ambassadors, have successfully fought to have ropes attached to the lifebuoys at the Clyde since the incident and continue to do work within the local community to help prevent more tragic drowning accidents.

Duncan added: “We didn’t think of the dangers and risks associated with water until it happened to Christopher, and this is why we launched Christopher’s Saving Lives campaign.

“All Margaret and I want to do is save lives, we don’t want anyone to go through what we have – it’s been horrendous but we do this for him, in his name. We already know some of the ropes installed onto life buoys have helped to rescue a number of people, which is a privilege to know.”

Margaret added: “Christopher was a happy go lucky person with a big heart, he loved to help others and was so caring.

“We feel very lucky to have had him as a son and he lives on in our hearts.”

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “As we mark the eighth anniversary of Christopher’s tragic death in the River Clyde, the work we carry out at RLSS UK continues to raise awareness of these devastating incidents, along with providing the public with vital water safety advice that could help save lives.

“Sadly, Christopher isn’t the only to have lost his life under these terrible circumstances. Our Don’t Drink and Drown campaign was launched following various instances where young people’s nights out have sadly not ended the way they had planned.

“We have seen cases of young people walking home after a night out, and for various reasons getting too close to the edge and ending up in the water – which is why this campaign seeks to encourage friends to Be A Mate and take responsibility for one another.

“We’d like to thank both Duncan and Margaret Spiers for their continued support for our Don’t Drink and Drown campaign, and for their help in raising awareness on this key issue in Christopher’s memory. We’d also like to praise their ongoing efforts to promote water safety education as we work to prevent any more lives from being lost to drowning.”

For more information on RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign, please visit: www.rlss.org.uk/dont-drink-and-drown.

Visit our website at: rlss.org.uk

Visit our Facebook page: facebook.com/RLSSUK  Call: 0300 323 0096

[1] Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK)– Detailed analysis of 16 cases of accidental drowning amongst those aged 16-25 years. Data sourced from UK Water Incident Research Hub (WIRH) August 2022.

Charity urges people to #BeAMate during World Cup and party season

The Royal Lifesaving Society UK (RLSS UK) has this year extended its annual Don’t Drink and Drown campaign to cover the FIFA World Cup tournament. Don’t Drink and Drown begins on Monday 21 November and will run until 18 December.

The campaign usually targets those who will be enjoying the festive period with their friends and family but with the home nations of England and Wales both qualifying for the tournament, the charity wants to encourage everyone who is heading out this winter to take extra care.

Don’t Drink and Drown is RLSS UK’s national campaign that encourages smart decision making whilst being drunk and the risks of drowning if near water. It particularly targets individuals to be responsible for their friends if they have had too much to drink; #BeAMate and help them to return home safely.

On average, each year 80 people lose their lives through substance-related drowning and the charity fears that a tournament such as this, at this time of year, may increase those tragic incidents.

Whether heading to the pub to watch a game, going to a work party, having a reunion with friends, or arranging a family gathering, the charity wants to ensure that everyone has the right knowledge around water safety, and chooses a route home away from the water after drinking.

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLSS UK said, “This is the first time that the world cup will have been held during our winter time, so it will be a completely different experience to what we have been used to in previous tournaments, when we may have seen people in pub beer gardens, watching the games on a big screen in the summer sun.

“This timing, paired with the celebrations around Christmas, raises concerns around water safety. We want to ensure that everyone enjoys the tournament and the festive period, but they are also able to stay safe around the various waterways on their routes home.”

Lee added: “We have prepared lots of messaging which will be shared during the four weeks of the campaign, encouraging everyone to take care, not only of themselves, but of their friends, whilst out drinking.

We would like to encourage everyone to share these messages with their friends and family, so we can ensure that we equip as many people as possible with the right knowledge around water safety.”

Statistics show that 45% of drownings of those aged 16-25 cited alcohol or drugs and where known, over half of alcohol/drug related drownings occurred between 11pm and 5am, which is five times higher than those that weren’t alcohol/drug related. (WAID, 2021)

RLSS UK research also shows that three in four of people who drowned were not with someone they knew when they drowned; this is why one of the charity’s key messages is to be a mate and ensure that your friends get home safely, stick together and find a route home away from the water.

For further detail on RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign visit www.rlss.org.uk/dont-drink-and-drown where you can also download resources to spread the word and help keep your friends and family safe this winter.

Charity urges people to #BeAMate this Christmas and make sure friends and family get home safely

This December many of us will be making up for lost time and celebrating the festive period with friends and family across our major towns and cities, after being unable to get together last year.

With the nightlife scene working its way back to a sense of normality, this Christmas will see work parties, reunions with friends, and family gatherings taking place across the UK and Ireland.

Whilst it will be great to see people enjoying the festivities this year, it also brings back the risks of individuals falling in the water after a night out whilst drunk making their way home.

Young people across the country are working with the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), the charity which enhances communities so everyone can enjoy water safely, as they fear that this time of year will potentially see people like them unexpectedly falling into the water after enjoying their night out.

The RLSS UK launches its annual Don’t Drink and Drown Campaign this month, which will run from 6 – 12 December, in a bid to encourage public safety with its key messages of:

look out for your friends and make sure they get home safely
if you’ve had a drink, stay away from the water
find an alternative route home away from water, and
stay away from water in winter, cold water shock kills.

With alcohol impairing our judgements, limiting muscle ability, slowing down reactions and numbing our senses, this can mean that even for strong swimmers, entering the water after drinking can be extremely dangerous. On average 73 people lose their lives each year through a substance-related drowning, this is over 20% of the annual accidental drowning fatalities.

A number of young people who are working with the charity are spreading the word and offering safety advice in and around our major towns and cities this festive period.

The Youth Leadership Team at RLSS UK have been visiting popular nightlife destinations within their own local areas to deliver the message and asking people to Be a Mate over the coming months to ensure everyone can enjoy their Christmas.

James Cossons, Youth Advisor at RLSS UK, said: “As part of my role in the Youth Leadership Team at RLSS UK, the team and I have been spreading the message of our Don’t Drink and Drown campaign to improve people’s knowledge around water safety.

“It is really important for members of the public to understand the dangers, especially at this time of year, of being around the water after drinking. We want to ensure everyone enjoys the festive period safely and we encourage everyone to be a mate this Christmas.”

Drowning is a significant issue all year-round and one which needs caution this Christmas. The charity is urging people to be mindful and plan their safe routes home away from water.