Water Safety: Drowning Prevention Week 2026

Water Safety: Drowning Prevention Week 2026

Jun 11, 2026Michelle Sutton

The Royal Life Saving Society UK

Every June, the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) educates children and young people on staying safe in the water. Each year, the RLSS calls on carers, schools, lifesaving clubs, leisure operators, and water-related businesses to participate. By working together, children and young people will learn how to safely enjoy the water, helping to reduce drownings across the UK and Ireland.

Drowning Prevention Week 2026 (13th - 20th June) is just before the summer holidays as it’s an important time to educate young people when they are outdoors more and need important water safety knowledge. 

The Statistics

  • Over the last 5 years, 3,615 people have fatally drowned in the UK and Ireland.
  • 88% of all child drownings occurred in the absence of adult supervision.
  • 84% of open water child drownings happen inland, in places such as rivers, lakes, and canals.
  • 40 children drowned in England in 2024.
  • 83% of all accidental drownings in 2024 were male.
  • 71% of child drownings occurred between May and August.
  • On average, 723 people drown in the UK and Ireland annually (2020-2024).

Staying safe in the water this summer

Open water safety

Water safety is important for both indoor and outdoor swimming. But, in the warm summer months, more swimmers will be at the beach and will need to know how to stay safe while swimming in open water.

Open water swimming has many physical and mental health benefits for swimmers but has plenty of risks to be aware of. Knowing how to stay safe while swimming is important to help prevent future tragedies in the water. 

Open water safety is crucial as the water is unpredictable and changes can happen when you least expect it. Some risks of swimming in open water include:

  • Water depth can be unpredictable + change unexpectedly.
  • Water temperature can be colder than expected and lead to cold water shock.
  • Underwater hazards like rocks might not be visible.
  • Obstacles in the water, such as other people swimming around you.
  • Strong currents can rapidly get out of control.

Learn the Water Safety Code 


A high number of drownings in the UK occur in the warmer summer months when more children and young people are in the water. Data shows that 47% of UK accidental drownings occur between May and August. 

When UK average maximum air temperatures reach or exceed 25°C...

  • There is a fivefold increase in accidental drowning risk, when compared to days with an average temperature of 10°C.
  • Over half (57%) of those who drowned were swimming, reflecting more people actively entering the water.
  • Teenagers (aged 13-17 years) and young adults are proportionately more likely to lose their lives.

With the correct knowledge of water safety, most accidents are preventable. Drowning Prevention Week 2026 encourages everyone to follow the Water Safety Code whenever they are around water:

Stop and Think

  • Take time to assess your surroundings. Is the water too deep? Are there hazards? Are the currents too strong?
  • Are you a really good swimmer? Think carefully about your swimming ability before entering the water.
  • Enter slowly and never jump from heights.
  • Don’t use inflatables in open water. They might be fun but can easily get caught in the wind and pushed further out to sea.
  • Look for the dangers and always research local signs, advice, and conditions.

Stay Together

  • When around water, always go with friends or family so someone knows where you are.
  • Stay within reach and don’t go too far.
  • Swim at a lifeguarded venue + make sure someone is available to raise the alarm.

In an emergency:

Call 999

  • Don’t enter the water to rescue.
  • If you are at the coast, call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
  • Make sure your group knows who to call in an emergency. Know what number to call in emergencies when you are abroad.

Float

  • If you fall in or become tired: stay calm, float on your back, and call for help.
  • Throw something that floats to somebody that has fallen in.

Knowing this code educates everyone on how to stay safe in the water, whether you planned to go in or found yourself unexpectedly in the water.


Swim safely with clear vision


Compared to swimming pools, open water swimming has more unexpected hazards and potential obstacles. Your swim environment could have rocks and other objects hidden beneath the surface. On warm summer days at the beach, the sea might be packed full of other people swimming.

Clear vision is crucial for open water safety as swimmers need to safely navigate water, understanding where they are and what is around them. Swimmers with poor eyesight can benefit from swimming goggles with corrective prescription lenses to help see more clearly in the water. Clear vision helps to not only keep you safe but helps to monitor the safety of children and others in the water.

Sources

  1. https://www.rlss.org.uk/Listing/Category/drowning-prevention-week-campaign 
  2. https://www.rlss.org.uk/Blog/top-recommendations-for-safer-open-water-swimming 
  3. https://www.rlss.org.uk/pages/category/open-water-safety-tips 
  4. https://www.rlss.org.uk/Listing/Category/summer-water-safety 
  5. RLSS UK - Drowning Prevention Week 2026 Campaign Supporters Pack
  6. Water Incident Database (WAID) 2020-2024
  7. National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) 2024 and 2025
  8. Water Safety Ireland (WSI) 2020-2024