Swimmers met at Bawsey on Sunday 21 April and enjoyed a swim in Brickyard Lake to call for the Right to Swim and to show that it can be done safely with knowledge at such a relatively safe place. This post focuses on water safety and the Be Water Aware campaign.
There were 17 swimmers, two children paddled their feet and played on the beach, and 3 people supported from the beach.
The weather was wonderful with lots of sunshine, though a rather cool breeze, with water at 12.3°. Also in the lake were the Newfoundland trainers and their dogs – who looked like they were also having fun!
One purpose of our swims is to raise awareness about safety, to show swimming can be safe with some key tips, and to call for places for people to learn about cool water and safety from early on, with their families, in a positive and welcoming and relatively safe place – places like Bawsey.
We support the #BeWaterAware campaign to raise awareness for anyone going near or in water about how to avoid falling in, what to do if they fall in, and what to do if someone is in trouble. And if swimming, to be aware not to get into quickly because of the risk of cold water shock, or to stay in too long and get too cold, too far from shore – unless really used to cool water.
The campaign wants people to enjoy water while being aware – and that’s what we want, too.
A positive campaign with lots of useful information is by far the best way to help people stay safe. Becoming familiar with outdoor swimming from an early age is the very best way for people to be water aware. And that’s why we need places to go, especially places like this. Read more about Bawsey in earlier posts on this website, and read about risks (real or mythical) at this site and how to stay safe here.
#BeWaterAware; #RespectTheWater
22-28 April National Fire Chiefs Council’s Be Water Aware campaign gives safety advice ahead of the warmer months, especially to anyone doing recreation in and around the water. It encourages them to be aware of risks, how to stay safe, and what to do in an emergency:
- Take care by water – slips, trips and falls are often the cause of accidents leading to 40% of accidental drownings, about twice as many as drown when swimming.
- Swimmers key info: best to get in carefully, and not stay in too long or too far from shore if not used to cooler water – cold water shock which can affect anyone getting into the water too fast – especially if not used to cold water, and swim failure – if not used to cool water best to stay near to the shore and not get too cold.
- Float to Live – on your back – if you find yourself in trouble in the water.
- Call, Tell, Throw : Call 999, Tell someone to float on their back, Throw something that floats – key things to do if you see someone in trouble in the water – but don’t jump in to the rescue.
Swimmers are meeting at Bawsey to show their support for The Outdoor Swimming Society’s Inland Access Manifesto calling for freedom to swim and the call from Right to Roam for a right to responsible access to land and water, as in Scotland. Read more about Wild Swimming and Access. To show that we need more access to swim, we suggest swimmers Go Swimming!
Location details: Bawsey Pits or Lakes
[Log 1742]