People in Teesside urged to stay safe around open water this Easter
The RNLI says there's hidden dangers such as cold water shock, rip currents and tide times
People across Teesside are being urged to stay safe around open water this bank holiday.
The RNLI says there's hidden dangers such as cold water shock, rip currents and tide times.
John Reece, water safety officer at Redcar RNLI, said: "Stop and think of the dangers. Make a note of the tides and the weather, because that can change all the time. If you want to go in the sea, just go into waist high and swim parallel to the coast. And then if you get into difficulty, you can stand up and walk out.
"Currently, the water is still very cold. It's not likely to warm up before mid-summer. The water temperature coming out of your tap is about 10 to 12 degrees. So the water is actually colder than coming out of your tap.
"The RNLI recommend that you turn onto your back, relax, which is easy to say but difficult to do, but relax and just float. Some people say, 'I can't float.' Everybody can float. Even if you can't swim, you can float."
For more information and advice, visit the RNLI website.