Bereaved father shares water safety warning as warm spell continues
Water safety campaigner Thomas Okyere backs advice from Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue.
The father of a teenager who died after getting into difficulty in the River Nene last May is urging people to be safe around water as the hot weather continues.
1\7 year old Ronalds Abele got into difficulty in the water in Wellingborough and tragically died.
Since the incident his family have backed Water Safety Training, helping 80 people to be trained in Ronalds name since his passing.
His dad Thomas Okyere says it's painful for the family knowing young people may try to enter the water like Ronalds did.
"It's difficult for us, but kids being kids they want to explore. But they can't take the water for granted. They need to be careful of their surroundings and not go to unsupervised water."
At this time of year one of the issues is cold water shock.
"The tempeature jumps from eight, nine degrees, in the morning to high 20s in the afternoon, and you may think nice, I'm just going to jump into the water, but please don't. This is the situation Ronalds found himself in."
It's a warning backed by Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue's Darren Carson, a Prevention Team Leader at the service.
He says the main message is to enjoy but respect the water:
"What we we get concerned about, especially with young people, is just finding random areas of of waterways and and basically jumping in one of the biggest risks of obviously is the water temperature.
"Average water temperatures around about 15°. If you think of a swimming pool is about 28, 29 degrees. We kind of say, with, cold water shock, its like somebody just pushes you in your shower and you're not ready for it. And that's the shock it has on the on the body."
Top 10 tips on how to stay safe while swimming in the open water
• Get to know where you are swimming and check the condition before going in.
• Make sure you are properly equipped and beware of the cold.
• Make sure you have someone to accompany you, and that other people know where you have gone and why.
• Take note of local safety advice and respect the countryside, landowners and other users.
• Make sure you have the means to call for help, especially in remote locations.
• Download the what3words app on your phone so you can give specific location advice to emergency services if you get into trouble.
• If you get stuck in the water with cold body shock, try and float on your back in a star shape and allow the shock to pass. Do not try and fight against it.
• If you see another person or animal in the water, you should NOT enter water yourself to rescue them. Call 999 and ask for the fire service immediately.
• In most cases an animal will make it back to safety, sadly this is not always the case for an owner.
• Try and throw a floating device such as a throw line or an inflatable to help any people who are struggling in the water.
Darren Carson, said: “We know everyone will want to go out and enjoy the warm weather, but it’s important also that people – especially young people – understand the risk that swimming in the open water can pose, even on really hot days.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s almost 30 degrees outside, open water can still be freezing and send your body into water shock, which can lead to tragic consequences.
“We would always encourage people to go to supervised open water swimming locations in the county, and these can be found easily online. But if people do choose to swim in open water, we would always urge them not to go alone, and if they get into trouble in the water, to try and float like a star until the water shock has passed.”
For more on staying safe;
Top Recommendations for Safer Open Water Swimming | Royal Life Saving Society UK ( RLSS UK )
Water and boat safety – Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service