A new study has highlighted the importance of staying safe near water, showing an alarming increase in cases of accidental drowning in the UK when the air temperature rises.
Researchers at Bournemouth University and the Royal Life Saving Society found that over the last ten years, there were three times more accidental drowning deaths on days where temperatures reached 25°C or higher, compared to average UK summer temperatures. Most of the cases involved men, whilst the greatest increase in risk was amongst those suspected of drinking alcohol.
The findings have been published in the journal Preventative Medicine.
“It may not come as a surprise that there are more cases of drowning when it gets hot, but the extent of the increase is very stark and shows the need for people to understand the risks, and how to enjoy warm weather safely,” explained Dr Sam Hills, an academic at Bournemouth University who led the study.
Dr Hills and his international research team used data from the national Water Incident Database, which holds information on all drownings recorded in the UK. For each incident they then linked data from the Met Office to look at the weather conditions in the local area on the date each drowning happened and for the two weeks prior to the drowning.
Analysis of this information found that on average the risk of drowning increased by over seven percent for every 1°C increase in air temperature. For men suspected of being intoxicated, this risk increased to over twenty percent per 1°C degree.
“We are undertaking more research to identify the reasons behind this increase in each area, but these findings are likely to be the result of behavioural factors such as people being more likely to go to water locations when the weather is nice and being more tempted to voluntarily enter the water to cool down” he added.
Additional analysis by Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) also highlighted the risk of taking a swim to cool off, as 57% of those who accidently drowned on days exceeding 25°C were swimming, almost three times higher than on days with average temperatures.
Matt Croxall, RLSS UK Charity Director, commented, “These findings are alarming and reinforce the importance of knowing how to enjoy the water safely, as every year we hear about preventable tragedies in open water when temperatures rise.”
The research teams have been working closely with the National Water Safety Forum, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents to discuss the findings to identify how to reduce the risks in high risk locations.
Ross MacLeod, Water Safety Manager at the RNLI said, “It’s well known that people’s behaviour changes during periods of warmer weather, with many heading to open water sites to cool off and enjoy water-related activities”.
“The best way to keep yourself and others safe is to visit supervised locations and know what to do in a water emergency.”
The RNLI's Float to Live guidance is available here.
