Rivington Pike lit up for Drowning Prevention Day

With the school summer holidays underway, United Utilities and Lancashire Fire and Rescue have joined forces to remind people about the dangers of swimming in reservoirs and other open waters.

They are shining a light on the dangers by once again lighting up Rivington Pike and Pigeon Tower to mark World Drowning Prevention Day.

With this year’s World Drowning Prevention Day message being ‘Anyone can drown, no one should’, the water company for the North West and Lancashire’s Fire and Rescue Service are reminding people of the dangers of swimming in reservoirs and urging g people to take care around water during the summer.

Matt Upton, United Utilities Catchment Manager for Lancashire said: “We know that on a warm sunny day reservoirs can look very appealing, but they are also extremely dangerous as not all hazards are visible or obvious to people attempting to swim.

“Reservoirs typically have very steep sides and the water is extremely deep so even in the warmest weather it can be cold enough to cause shock. Even the strongest swimmers can find themselves in difficulties.”

“We have warning signs in place at our reservoirs but every year some people chose to ignore these. We hope that lighting up Rivington Pike in blue for World Drowning Prevention Day will be a timely reminder at the start of the school summer holidays to stay safe around water.”

World Drowning Prevention Day, backed by the United Nations and World Health Organization (WHO), started in 2021, with the goal of drawing attention to the scale and preventability of drowning worldwide.

Liam Wilson, Group manager and Prevention lead at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, said:  “There are many hidden dangers of swimming in open water. The shock of cold water can get even strong swimmers into difficulty, it doesn’t matter how fit and healthy you are, the water is always stronger.

“The water can be deep, submerged objects may not be visible and it’s difficult to estimate the depth before you get in. Whilst swimmers may be able to enter the water, there are not always suitable places to climb out.

“Finally, we urge parents to have conversations with their teenage children about water safety. There are materials available on the LFRS website to help parents learn more about water safety.”

Globally, an estimated 235,600 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14.

The UK figures showed that in 2023 there were 236 accidental drownings nationally, with more dying at inland waters than at the coast.