To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the RNLI Lifeguard Service, a lifeguard installation is being installed in St Andrew Square today – Lifeguard Appreciation Day, (Friday 31st July 2026).
Launching in 2001, following a successful pilot scheme in South-West England, over over 245 beaches are now patrolled by RNLI lifeguards.
RNLI lifeguards were first introduced in Scotland on Coldingham Bay in 2013, and the team has been expanding ever since. They can now be found on 8 Scottish beaches throughout the summer season.
Since the service began in Scotland, RNLI lifeguards have saved 8 lives, aided more than 3,500 people, responded to over 2,400 incidents and carried out more than 560,000 preventative actions.
RNLI lifeguards are best known for rescuing people in difficulty in the water, but much of their work takes place before an incident ever develops.
Around 95% of a lifeguard’s role is prevention, from advising swimmers about rip currents and changing conditions to helping families stay safe on the beach and reuniting lost children with their parents.
Lachlan Edwards, Lead Lifeguard Supervisor, says: “International Lifeguard Day is an opportunity to celebrate our fantastic and dedicated lifeguard team, both past and present.
“We have a team of around 40 lifeguards, including volunteer lifeguards, who help keep the public safe and well informed. They not only work across our eight beaches, providing casualty care, support and carrying out rescues, they also work in local primary schools and help educate communities on water safety at events throughout the year.
“Having been part of the team since 2015 I have seen first-hand how the service in Scotland has grown and the impact our lifeguards have had is remarkable. We look forward to growing the team further and continuing to provide this lifesaving service.”
Owen McQueenie is a senior lifeguard who joined the service in 2019, inspired by his dad, Martin, and older sister, Tamsin, who were both RNLI lifeguards.
Owen says: ‘Being part of the lifeguard team is incredibly rewarding. I have always loved being in and around the water and surfing with my family, so being able to do this as a job, while helping to protect the public is really awesome.
‘I was inspired by my dad and sister to get involved with the RNLI lifeguard team. It’s great to work in the same field as my family and be able to share our experiences after our shifts. They were a huge support when I became a senior lifeguard, and I’m proud to follow in their footsteps.’
Owen recently assisted two girls who were caught by the wind on their paddleboard at Coldingham Bay and safely guided them back to the shore.
As families continue to enjoy the coast this summer, the RNLI is encouraging people to choose a lifeguarded beach whenever possible and to swim between the red and yellow flags.
To find your nearest RNLI lifeguarded beach, visit rnli.org/lifeguardedbeach.
It’s important to talk to children and young people about their safety around water. Have a conversation about it today and explain:
• They should never swim in an unsupervised area like lochs, rivers, sea or ponds where there isn’t an adult to help if they get into trouble
• It’s much safer to go to a swimming pool where there’s a lifeguard on duty
• They shouldn’t play with or touch lifesaving equipment like life rings by the side of waterways. That equipment might be used to save someone’s life.
It’s important to talk to children and young people about their safety around water. Have a conversation about it today and explain:
• They should never swim in an unsupervised area like lochs, rivers, sea or ponds where there isn’t an adult to help if they get into trouble
• It’s much safer to go to a swimming pool where there’s a lifeguard on duty
• They shouldn’t play with or touch lifesaving equipment like life rings by the side of waterways. That equipment might be used to save someone’s life.
Over 8,300 youngsters to learn vital water safety skills this June
IT’S NOT just about front crawl and backstrokes, Learn to Swim lessons in Edinburgh Leisure are teaching children how to be safer in and around water during this month to mark Drowning Prevention Week as part of a Scotland-wide campaign.
From Shetland to the Borders, swimming pools are adapting and transforming their regular swimming lessons into workshops which will focus specifically on water safety knowledge and skills.
Swimmers are set to learn the crucial Water Safety Code as well as basic floating techniques which can make a massive difference when someone feels in danger in the water and that could help save their lives or someone else’s.
The special lessons come as latest figures reveal the ongoing risks around Scotland’s waters, the National Water Safety Forum reported that tragically in 2024 there were 33 accidental drownings in Scotland.
Drowning prevention is one of the main objectives for the Learn to Swim National Framework and in June each year the programme does a major water safety push to coincide with Drowning Prevention Week, where youngsters take part in a bespoke water safety swim lesson delivered by the leisure trusts and aquatic providers.
John Lunn, CEO of Scottish Swimming, said: “Every June, our Learn to Swim classes shift focus to concentrate on water safety.
“It’s not just about being a strong swimmer- understanding how to recognise hazards, help others in distress and make smart decisions around water is equally important.”
Peter Farrer, Chief Operating Officer at Scottish Water, added: “”We cannot over-emphasise the importance of water safety all year round, but it’s particularly relevant as we approach summer when people are often more likely to be around water.
“These water safety lessons provide an opportunity to equip people with the vital knowledge and skills to help them feel safer in, on and around water, and help their parents and family network feel confident and comfortable in their swimming abilities.”
The Learn to Swim National Framework is delivered by 38 leisure trusts and aquatic providers in 167 pools from Shetland to the Borders with the vision of creating “Generation Swim”, a generation of children who are confident, safer and competent swimmers, who will also get to experience the wider health and social benefits that swimming can offer.
The programme currently reaches around 82,000 children across Scotland who will have access to a new interactive water safety quiz that has been developed to improve water safety knowledge this year.
The Learn to Swim National Framework is committed to creating inclusive, supportive, and quality environments in which individuals can learn to swim regardless of their age, ability or skill level.
Drowning Prevention Week, organised by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), stands as one of the largest water safety campaigns in the UK and Ireland.
Water safety charity launches new video to encourage everyone to #BeAMate this Christmas
With Christmas just around the corner and festive tipples in full swing, a national charity launches its annual winter campaign with sobering new video to encourage everyone to ‘Be a Mate’ this December.
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is running its annual Don’t Drink and Drown campaign from 12-20December 2024, targeting festive partygoers to ‘Be a Mate’ and ensure their friends make their way home safely after a night out.
In the last six years, of those aged 18-25 who drowned, 46% lose their lives through a substance-related drowning, informing the charity’s efforts to target this age group through the campaign (WAID, 2018-2023).
Forming part of the December campaign, RLSS UK has released an impactful video which showcases the devastatingly real risks involved when people journey home alone after consuming alcohol – and the tragic reality for some. This scenario helps to reinforce the charity’s wider message of the campaign, urging those enjoying the festive period to be responsible for themselves and their friends if they have had too much to drink and help them to avoid dangerous routes and return home safely.
As work Christmas parties and gatherings with friends and family for the festive period take place across the country, RLSS UK fears that this could result in accidental fatalities as drunk people walk home near the water.
Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “Our research indicates that among those aged 18-25 who lost their lives to accidental drowning, almost half had alcohol and/or drugs in their bloodstream.
“In a bid to reduce this worryingly high number of substance-related drownings around this time of year, we’ve launched our brand-new campaign video during the festive period, when people are more likely to get merry, and so the risk is significantly higher.
“The video seeks to highlight the importance of making all the right decisions – from not journeying home alone after consuming alcohol, actively looking out for friends, to taking routes home away from water – bringing to life the very harsh reality that this could happen to anyone.
“Our key message remains the same. We encourage everyone to look after their friends, to ‘Be a Mate’ and ensure that everyone gets home safely to their families this Christmas.”
RLSS UK wants to reinforce the message of safety in numbers, avoiding dangerous routes home near the water, and staying together to make sure everyone makes it home safe.
Matt continued: “We know that alcohol and drugs are known to lower inhibitions, which can lead to impaired judgment, and this is where we see people taking risks and getting themselves into trouble in and around water.
“We can’t stress enough the dangers of cold-water shock around this time of year and encourage everyone to partake in festivities, but to do so safely – and to stay safe and away from the water after drinking.
“After all, your presence is the greatest gift your loved ones could ask for this Christmas.”
For more information on the campaign and to support RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign this December, 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.
Water Safety Scotland (WSS) has launched its groundbreaking Drowning and Incident Review (DIR) Dashboard, providing an unprecedented tool to analyse and prevent water-related fatalities in Scotland.
The DIR, developed by RoSPA and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, reviews all accidental drownings in Scotland and offers detailed data to guide local and national prevention efforts.
The new DIR Dashboard will allow stakeholders to access vital data on drowning incidents, contributory factors, and post-incident measures. This tool will significantly enhance Scotland’s ability to take a targeted approach to preventing water emergencies.
Carlene McAvoy, Founder of Water Safety Scotland and DIR co-author, said: “The DIR enables us to take a focused approach to preventing water-based fatalities with data that was never previously available before in Scotland.
“The new DIR Dashboard will provide even greater access to critical information, allowing us to better understand and address the causes of drowning. This will be particularly useful for both national and local efforts in prevention”.
The DIR Dashboard offers stakeholders access to comprehensive drowning data, helping to inform water safety measures and prevention strategies. By visualising and analysing key factors, the tool will support both local and national efforts to reduce water-related deaths.
Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on death investigations for COPFS, said:“The Procurator Fiscal is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, accidental, or unexplained deaths in Scotland.
“The purpose of each investigation is to establish the circumstances and cause of the death and to identify any preventable dangers to life and the safety of the public.
“We welcome the introduction of the Drowning and Incident (DIR) Dashboard and will continue to support this process, and any other measures intended to reduce the numbers of accidental drownings in Scotland.”
Station Commander James Sullivan, SFRS’ Lead Officer for Water Safety Scotland and Co-author of DIR said: “DIR is a unique process that provides an opportunity to understand contributory factors and events leading up to a water emergency that enables targeted prevention efforts across Scotland.
“DIR is the result of innovative and collaborative working that would not have been possible without the commitment and influence of Water Safety Scotland’s members.”
The DIR Dashboard goes live today, offering users an accessible platform for viewing data on drowning incidents and preventative measures. More information is available via the Water Safety Scotland website.
A BOLD new framework that aims to revolutionise water safety in schools has been launched.
4400 children from Edinburgh have already taken part in the new National Primary School Swimming Framework.
The National Primary School Swimming Framework – a partnership between Scottish Water and Scottish Swimming – vision is to ensure that primary school children (ideally at Primary 4/Primary 5 level) across Scotland will get to learn basic water safety and drowning prevention skills to help them be safer and more confident in, on and around water.
Developed by Scottish Swimming and supported by Scottish Water, the Framework will introduce standardised outcomes alongside innovative, flexible delivery models tailored to local needs to enhance the current School Swimming provision.
Mel Coutts, Wider Achievement Manager for Sport & Physical Activity from The City of Edinburgh Council said: “Teaching water safety skills is vital for ensuring children of all backgrounds are safe around water.
“The National Primary School Swimming Framework complements the model which has been successfully developed in Edinburgh for many years and is delivered across our 90 primary schools.
“Building this programme over the years has built the confidence of our schools in our swimming programme and in turn improves the confidence of pupils taking part. The fact that the Framework can be adapted so easily is a huge plus.
“Our partnership with Scottish Swimming is highly valued and the support we received for additional teaching support to work with our curriculum Swim Teachers to target non-swimmers has been priceless.”
Edinburgh facilitated the pilot across 14 pools and aims to reach around 5000 pupils in the next academic year.
Launched during a Drowning Prevention Week event at Loch Lomond yesterday (19 June), the framework hopes to ensure all children have the chance to learn vital water safety skills, which may be their only opportunity for such education.
Over 9200 pupils have already taken part in two phases of pilots which were carried out across nine local authorities across Scotland, the Framework has now been made accessible for all local authorities and pools.
Statistics show that Scotland’s record on drownings are worryingly high, with 47 accidental drownings reported by the NationalWater Safety Forum in 2023, almost 10 fatal drownings per one million people, almost triple the rate of the rest of the UK.
Euan Lowe, CEO at Scottish Swimming, added: “Our vision is that ‘everyone can swim’, and we believe that teaching primary school age children water safety skills is vital to this.
“The framework’s flexible approach allows schools to adopt models best suited to their circumstances while delivering consistent skills and messaging in relation to water safety. Whether through a universal approach or targeted programmes for non-swimmers, we maintain core water safety principles.
“This collaborative effort with Scottish Water and the Scottish Government, sportscotland, and educational bodies underscores our commitment to making swimming accessible and safe for all children.”
Peter Farrer, Scottish Water’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “Learning how to be safer in, on and around water is such an important life skill – everyone should be able to enjoy Scotland’s miles of rivers, lochs, reservoirs and shorelines, and do so safely.
“Scotland’s drowning rates highlight the urgent need for comprehensive water safety education.“We are proud to support the National Primary School Swimming Framework, which aims to help ensure children across Scotland leave primary school with the essential knowledge and skills to stay safe around water.”
A recent survey of primary school headteachers in Scotland revealed that nine in 10 that currently deliver school swimming value it as part of their pupils’ education. With nearly three quarters (72%) of schools unaware of the Water Safety Scotland Progression Pathway classroom resources for school teachers, this new framework is set out to ensure all children receive essential water safety skills.
The framework is designed to adapt to various local authority environments, ensuring inclusivity and targeting children who may not have previous swimming experience. Integrating the Water Safety Code throughout aligns with Water Safety Scotland’s drowning prevention initiatives.
Supported by the Scottish Government and sportscotland, and with the involvement of Education Scotland and Water Safety Scotland, pilot programmes explored different delivery models, leading to the comprehensive framework now available for schools across the nation.
Pilot programmes were carried out in the following local authorities:
Dundee: 30 pupils
East Lothian: 1238 pupils
North Lanarkshire: 134 pupils
Scottish Borders: 86 pupils
West Dunbartonshire: 1100 pupils
Aberdeen: 1490 pupils
Edinburgh: 4400 pupils
Clackmannanshire: 540 pupils
East Renfrewshire: 230 pupils
The framework is linked to Scottish Swimming’s comprehensive education qualifications and CPD courses to aid the development and quality of delivery.
Drowning Prevention Week (15-22 June 2024), organised by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS), stands as one of the largest water safety campaigns in the UK and Ireland, specifically targeting the summer season. Its primary goal is to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to make informed decisions regarding water safety, particularly during the summer months.
Water-related fatalities are at their lowest level since 2018, according to Water Safety Scotland’s latest annual trend report, which contains analysis of data from the Water Incident Database(WAID).
The report also shows that water-related fatalities decreased during 2023 (94) when compared to 2022 (96) andprovides detail on historical and baseline data in comparison to Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy (SDPS).
The WAID Database is maintained by the National Water Safety Forum and gathers information related to water-based incidents.
Water Safety Scotland is a voluntary association of organisations and individuals whose main purpose is to understand the risks around water in Scotland and engage with partners to develop a consistent approach to the prevention of water related fatalities.
The Steering Group of Water Safety Scotland is represented by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Police Scotland and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority. This variety of representation is intended to give a broad and balanced view of the strategic direction and leadership of WSS.
Carlene McAvoy, Founder of WSS and the Data Subgroup Chair, said: “We expected to see accidental deaths rise as not recorded has decreased due to the improved dataset via the Drowning and Incident Review. However, we have actually seen a decrease in accidental fatalities in 2023.
“The recent figures for overall water-related fatalities shows a decrease – bringing the number of overall water-related fatalities down to its lowest level since 2018, when we saw 78 fatalities.
“Accidental water-related fatalities are also below the SDPS average via the introduction of the Drowning and Incident Review (DIR), a pioneering process created in Scotland which aims to gather all relevant data and information in order to systematically and rigorously review each accidental water-related incident with a view to preventing a future occurrence”.
Water Safety Scotland continues to promote water safety through its assets including free education resources for teachers and practitioners and free consistent water safety messaging for partners to use across Scotland.
As summer approaches, Water Safety Scotland wants to remind the public to stay safe and follow the three part Water Safety Code:
Stop and Think, Spot the Dangers
Stay Together, Stay Close
In an Emergency, Call 999
Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “Figures showing water related deaths are at their lowest since 2018 should be welcomed but we cannot be complacent. Any death is one too many and leaves a devastating impact on victim’s families and surrounding communities.
“The Scottish Government continues to take water safety very seriously. Through the Water Safety Action Plan we are taking a range of measures including improving awareness through training for children and young people and improving signage around Scotland’s open water.
“We would encourage everyone to follow the Water Safety Code: Stop and Think, Spot the Dangers, Stay Together, Stay Close and call 999 in an emergency.”
Charity urges focus on water safety as child drownings in England double over last four years
National charity, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), shares data[1] that accidental drowning deaths amongst children have doubled since 2019-20 as its annual water safety education campaign begins.
The data shows the number of child drowning deaths in England has significantly increased from 20 in 2019-20, to 41 in 2022-23. Tragically, a total of 125 children have accidentally lost their lives to drowning in the last four years.
With England reporting an alarming increase in child drowning fatalities, RLSS UK is urging everyone to learn the Water Safety Code though its video animation as part of its annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign, taking place from 15-22 June 2024.
Targeted at young children and families, the national water safety education campaign aims to ensure as many people as possible are equipped with vital lifesaving knowledge to allow them to enjoy water safely this summer.
Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said: “The alarming increase in tragic child drowning deaths in England highlights just how important it is that families are aware of the importance of water safety and have the correct knowledge to make the right decisions around water.
“We are urging parents to stay vigilant in, on and around water, both at home and when spending time outdoors and to have the water safety conversation with their children.
“With warmer summer days on the horizon, we will inevitably see people flock to open water sites across the UK and Ireland, as well as taking opportunities to enjoy water at home in the garden. We want to ensure that everyone can enjoy water this summer by having the knowledge to do so safely.
“More than half of child drownings occur in June, July and August, and Drowning Prevention Week works to equip families with the appropriate skills and knowledge to enjoy water safely during the summer months and beyond.”
During the 2023 campaign, RLSS UK materials and resources were used to educate over 1.85 million children in vital water safety knowledge and skills.
Matt Croxall added: “For this year’s Drowning Prevention Week campaign, we are looking to educate even more young people on water safety, providing children with the skills to enjoy a lifetime of fun in the water.”
For Drowning Prevention Week, RLSS UK has a range of free new and updated educational resources available on its website for children, including lesson plans for schools and downloadable resources for parents, as well as an engaging video animation to support families in learning the Water Safety Code.
For more information around Drowning Prevention Week, please visit our website at www.rlss.org.uk/dpw.
