Children's open water safety lessons a 'godsend'

Sessions to teach children skills for dealing with swimming in open water have been described as a "godsend".

A number of people, many teenagers, have died after getting into difficulty in rivers, lakes and the sea during extended hot weather this year.

Derbyshire-based charity Bluetonic hosts sessions at supervised open water areas, giving children the chance to practise techniques such as safe floating, when to call for attention and the positions to keep as warm as possible.

Parent Tamsin Silver, who said her daughter had been taught to both look after herself and help others, said: "I wouldn't have known what to do, so it's a godsend."

While Bluetonic runs its free sessions across the country, it often works out of Spring Lakes in Nottinghamshire, Long Eaton in Derbyshire and has just started running classes at New Bath Lido in Matlock Bath, Derbyshire.

Its founder Scott Clayton said: "We're not trying to frighten children out of the water but inform them of where not to swim.

"That's not getting in near weirs, not getting into the water without an adult but going to a life-guarded venue and enjoying the great outdoors.

"We go through dangers at the seaside, so if you are caught in a rip [tide] you mustn't panic, you should relax and just float out and you will actually begin to come back to shore.

"Or the fact that if you fall into cold water, it takes your body a minute to a minute and a half to adjust, so before you do anything, even call for help, you have to float."

Silver, from Matlock Bath, said: "I think because of the heatwave we have had, the amount of children lost this summer after going into open water, it's just your worst nightmare.

"My daughter is about to start senior school and she is getting more independence and going out with her friends more.

"She's a sensible girl but I know how tempting it is and I did things like this when I was a little girl.

"I just want her to know how dangerous it can be and what to do if she does get into that situation.

"I wouldn't have known what to do, so it's a godsend."

Another parent, Amy Garratt, from Allestree, said she lived near a river where someone had drowned about three weeks ago.

"So it's really important my children know about river safety and sea safety and know if they ever got into trouble they would know what to do or if they saw someone in trouble they could raise the alarm," she said.

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