Landmarks lit blue on World Drowning Prevention Day

Penshaw Monument, Northern Spire bridge, Keel Square, Fulwell Mill and the white lighthouse at Seaburn were all lit up in support for the day and to help raise awareness of who you should call if you see someone in trouble in the water.

Sunderland City Council is supporting the UK's National Water Safety Forum's (NWSF) 'Respect The Water' campaign which was developed in response to a call from the World Health Organisation (WHO) to 'do one thing' to prevent drowning ahead of the second ever United Nations (UN) World Drowning Prevention Day.

The aim of the campaign is to encourage people to make the right call if they see someone in difficulty in the water. That means calling 999 and asking for the Fire and Rescue Service if you see someone in difficulty in a river,  lake or in open water in any other inland location, but calling the same number and asking for the Coastguard if you see someone in difficulty at the coast.  

This is on the back of findings that almost 50% of people still don't know to call 999 when they see someone struggling in the water, with many people panicking and following their instinct to jump in and help.

It's also important to remember to  'Float to Live' if you do get into trouble in the water by leaning back and using your arms and legs to stay afloat and control your breathing before calling for help or swimming to safety.

As part of the lifesaving campaign, the National Water Safety Forum is releasing a new impactful water safety advert which will be shown on national TV. The campaign is also being backed up with posters and social media.

Councillor Claire Rowntree, Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council, said: "As a city which has very sadly had a number tragic deaths to drowning in recent years, we know all too well how easy it is to get into difficulty in the water. No-one wants to see their loved ones go through the terrible loss these families have gone through. That's why we're supporting the National Water Safety Forum's Respect the Water campaign. 
 
"Tragically, the recent heat wave has also led to a number of drowning deaths across the country as people tried to cool off in the water. It's really important that we all know what we should to in a water emergency. That means fighting our natural instinct to jump in to try to save the person in difficulty. The water is unpredictable and a rescue for one could very easily become a search for two.

"But it also means making sure that you know which service to ask to be put through to when you dial 999, as this can help save vital minutes when it comes to getting help. Whereas you should always ask for the coastguard if you see someone in difficulty at the coast, you should ask for the fire service if you see someone in difficultly in a river, pond or stretch of open water inland.

"So I would ask everyone to take a few moments to check out the advice in the Respect The Water campaign as well as the useful water safety advice available on the RNLI and RLSS websites."

Last year, 277 people died from accidental drowning in the UK. Drowning is also one of the leading causes of death globally for children and young people.

For more information on the Respect the Water campaign visit: Respect The Water

For additional advice from the RNLI and RLSS visit:

RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - Saving Lives at Sea
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK)