Sandwell Council is reminding people of the dangers of open water – and urging them to only swim in supervised swimming pools.
The warning comes as part of World Drowning Prevention Day (Friday 25 July), which helps to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and offer life-saving solutions to prevent it.
Sandwell has lots of open water including lakes, pools, ponds, canals and rivers, which can be particularly inviting during the summer months, and people are often tempted to swim in them.
Water may feel warm on the surface, but just a few feet below can be icy cold, even in the hot weather, and can very quickly cause severe cramp and hypothermia.
Young people can often misjudge their swimming ability – they may view a river or lake as a tempting means of cooling off but fail to appreciate the harmful effects that the cold water can have on their stamina and strength.
Councillor Suzanne Hartwell, Sandwell Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community, said: “Swimming in open water can quickly lead to a tragedy. It’s important to remind everyone – especially our children and teenagers – to stay safe this summer and only swim in purpose-built and supervised swimming pools.
“We have some amazing swimming facilities to enjoy in Sandwell, including Sandwell Aquatics Centre. Our free swimming offer is open to young people during the school holidays and our older people all year round.”
This week, Sandwell Leisure Trust centres have used the last 10 minutes of each swimming lesson for swimmers to learn essential water safety skills, including how to float in an emergency. This is part of a national campaign in partnership with Swim England and the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), helping children gain the knowledge and confidence to stay safe in and around water.
Visit the council’s water safety webpage and the RLSS UK website for water safety advice.
West Midlands Fire Service’s website also has a range of advice.
The council offers free swimming at leisure centres with swimming pools for:
- Sandwell children aged 18 and under during school holidays during designated free swimming sessions.
- Sandwell residents aged 60 and over before 1pm every day.
- Sandwell residents who are registered as disabled (for a pass visit your nearest Sandwell leisure centre with a pool).
Visit our leisure centres webpage for more information on free swimming.