Sad drowning deaths

Primary has swimming lessons, but not secondary. I know in our school we have covered water safety in year 7 - but that’ll be the last thing in a child’s mind when it’s hot and they’re out with friends. One of the drownings was local at a spot that is known to be quite dangerous- but not to someone visiting for the day.

My son said he suspects most schools don’t take kids swimming any more. Not sure if this is correct.

When my kids were at school they were taken for swimming lessons and received lots of certificates. Even in my day at both primary and grammar school we had swimming lessons.

Astitchintime

“………we’ve all done it”. No, we haven’t . I have a fear of water when I cannot see the bottom and the potential of having weeds clinging around my feet and legs terrifies me.

I feel dreadfully sorry for the families of those that lost their lives and this happens year on year whenever there’s a hot spell.

My AC and DGC all learnt to swim very competently when they were young and I’m so relieved that they’ve never gone swimming in lakes, rivers or quarry pits as the dangers were drilled into them by the swimming instructor.

Well said! I never did it either. From being very young my dad took us to the local swimming pool and taught us to float and be confident in the water. Floating on top of the water can save lives. Later, I learned to swim at my primary school where we went for lessons when I was about ten.
We often went swimming as a family and often swam in the sea too, but never in lakes or rivers.
The pool I learned to swim in closed a long time ago along with so many others. Swimming lessons to schools were also cut, including at the school my son attended.
Factor in the cold water shock that is enhanced by the contrast between the extreme variation between air and water tempetaures now, the lack of accessible water for leisure purposes (lidos and paddling pools closing in local parks etc) along with young people who haven't been made aware of how dangerous open water swimming is, and you have a recipe for disasters like this.
I am always saying that no one cares about the kids anymore.
I cannot believe how many people are still promoting the safety of so called 'wild' swimming without expressing any sympathy for all the families affected by the loss of a child.
The death of one child by drowning is one too many- if adults want to risk jumping into the lakes and rivers then that's their affair.

According to the report I read, one of the teenagers who drowned was a girl who couldn't swim.

Terribly sad, but it happens every year in hot weather. I don’t know what the answer is, there are usually warning notices. More education?

“………we’ve all done it”. No, we haven’t . I have a fear of water when I cannot see the bottom and the potential of having weeds clinging around my feet and legs terrifies me.

I feel dreadfully sorry for the families of those that lost their lives and this happens year on year whenever there’s a hot spell.

My AC and DGC all learnt to swim very competently when they were young and I’m so relieved that they’ve never gone swimming in lakes, rivers or quarry pits as the dangers were drilled into them by the swimming instructor.

slightly off topic but why does Lloyds Bank advertise itself on TV with scenes of older women "wild swimming" and jumping off landing stages into cold lakes?

by us there is a quarry and every year since I can remember they report someone dying there. what people do not think is that is a big hole that was dug out by the quarry people then when it is empty of what they want they fill it with water but underneath can be machinery wire fencing even natural caves a real death trap. Also often the water is very very cold enough to make people cramp up or have heart attacks.
Years ago my father applied for a job at a sand pit. They took his name but said they were full at the moment. As of the other quarry when the pits were emptied they filled in the pit with water. sadly that weekend two lads who had just been taken on decided to swim in one of the pits despite knowing the risks and both drowned. it was very sad but dad had a long job there

Sad death of a 50 year old man in Cornwall who entered the water to try to help two people who had got into difficulties. He was a local man so would be aware of sea conditions and it's power. Just goes to show it can overcome anyone. Very sad news.

M0nica

Furret

It’s simply tragic. And those young women, sisters, who drowned off …Brighton was it?

I tnink there may be a tragic story behind exactly whaat happened with those three sisters. It seems to not to have just been an accidental drowning .

Brighton beach has no sand, just stones and it shelves quite dramatically. One minute you are standing on shingle in water up to your waist and the next minute you are out of your depth. That's enough to make anyone panic when they are suddenly unable to feel the beach under your feet and in the dark.
Youngsters trying to cool off may be surprised at how cold open water can be even during a heatwave.
I grew up on a small island and to this day I have a healthy respect for the sea. It always has the upper hand.
So very sad for their families.

On the topic of people being irresponsible when visiting popular beaches etc., I find it bizarre how hot weather brings out the very worst in some people determined to have their jollies whether they park irresponsibly, leave all their litter, or put themselves in harms way. And am sure that the police and emergency services will be at full throttle inundated with idiots behaving irresponsibly in general, taking frontline personnel away from tending to those who need their services through no fault of their own.

All tradegies. I can't begin to imagine the pain of the families left behind, but my heart especially goes out to the father of the three sisters, how will he have the strength to carry on?

Quite often when others go to try to save the person drowning they end up drowning as well. So tragic. It doesn’t matter how strong a swimmer a person is if they get caught up in dangerous currents.

That sounds accidental to me, but as I said we have to wait for the tragic truth to come out.

keepingquiet

Those three adult sisters were fully clothed, they were not “wild swimming”
(Why we call swimming in open water this, is beyond me)

The news states their own mother drowned aged 43.

M0nica

Furret

It’s simply tragic. And those young women, sisters, who drowned off …Brighton was it?

I tnink there may be a tragic story behind exactly whaat happened with those three sisters. It seems to not to have just been an accidental drowning .

Where is the evidence this was not accidental? We have to wait for the authorities to do their job. Such speculation is not respectful towards the families.

If adults like wild swimming that's one thing, but children being drowned is a different thing altogether.

My heart goes out to all the families- and we are only at the start of summer.

More needs to be done to stop these unnecessary deaths.

AmberGran

Primrose53 I was just reading appeals from the RNLI for people to keep the spaces clear for their rescue staff to park their cars. They had difficulty launching a lifeboat yesterday in Norfolk to rescue stranded people from a sandbank - people are even parking on the slipway apparently. So many entitled people with no consideration for anybody.

Awful, selfish drivers, sadly see it all the time, living a big seaside town.

Stupid and irresponsible people parking and then daft adults who should know better getting themselves stranded!

So very sadly, and for different reasons, we’ve had three adult sisters drown in Brighton last week and this week the tally is now 5 separate drownings, mainly young people, getting into open water to alleviate this heat! Very very sad

AmberGran

Primrose53 I was just reading appeals from the RNLI for people to keep the spaces clear for their rescue staff to park their cars. They had difficulty launching a lifeboat yesterday in Norfolk to rescue stranded people from a sandbank - people are even parking on the slipway apparently. So many entitled people with no consideration for anybody.

Yes, that’s near me and the one I mentioned.

If you mean the three young ladies apwho drowned at Brighton Youngnanny they weren’t teenagers there were all in their thirties, one married the twins not. Terribly sad

Primrose53 I was just reading appeals from the RNLI for people to keep the spaces clear for their rescue staff to park their cars. They had difficulty launching a lifeboat yesterday in Norfolk to rescue stranded people from a sandbank - people are even parking on the slipway apparently. So many entitled people with no consideration for anybody.

Furret

It’s simply tragic. And those young women, sisters, who drowned off …Brighton was it?

I tnink there may be a tragic story behind exactly whaat happened with those three sisters. It seems to not to have just been an accidental drowning .

It’s simply tragic. And those young women, sisters, who drowned off …Brighton was it?

It’s surprising how many people openly ignore warning signs though. I used to fish at a very large upland reservoir and despite signs saying the water was very deep, cold, had currents (people don’t expect that in what appears to them to be still water) and hidden obstructions, they would cheerfully come down the bank, strip off and dash in. Being a licenced fishery, the water was patrolled by bailiffs in boats, but they can’t be everywhere.

I had a cousin who drowned in a park lake in hot weather, in the early 50’s. He was 11. I was only a toddler then. Terrible for his parents as he was an only child.
I am very aware of the dangers of water and was very vigilant if we took any of our kids or grandchildren near inland water or the sea.