Water safety: Warnings to avoid swimming in reservoirs
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Can you swim in a reservoir?
People are being told not to swim in reservoirs and open waters as the summer sun returns.
The warnings are being made by water companies and emergency services all over the UK.
In 2019, 223 people lost their lives by accidentally drowning in UK waters, including coastlines, rivers, lakes, ponds and reservoirs.
Why are reservoirs and other waters dangerous?
Any open water can be dangerous because of unpredictable currents, obstacles and unknown depths.
Water temperature is also an issue, with some waters cold enough to cause cold water shock, even when the weather is warm.
It is important to pay attention to safety signs
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) launched their drowning prevention campaign this week, which is being backed by families who have lost loved ones in open waters.
GMFRS's Assistant Chief Fire Officer Leon Parkes said: "Cold water shock affects even the strongest of swimmers and can kill you in just 60 seconds. You also never know what is lurking beneath the surface - people have drowned after getting tangled up in undergrowth and other things hiding in the water."
Reservoirs are particularly dangerous for swimming in because they are working sites, housing underwater machinery, as well as very cold water and strong currents.
Health and safety expert Paula Steer from United Utilities recently warned people not to be tempted to cool off in high temperatures.
"Deaths in reservoirs is a very real problem and sadly, despite the best efforts from us and the emergency services to raise awareness of the dangers, we continue to hear of the needless deaths of people, many very young, accidently drowning in open water."
Supervision is another key part of staying safe in the water, which makes reservoirs even more dangerous as there are no lifeguards, and usually few people around to help if someone gets into danger.
WATCH: School pupils learn how to stay safe around water
What should you do around open water to stay safe?
Lee Heard, Director of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) told Newsround that if you are considering cooling off in open water then you should not "unless you are supervised by a well-trained and professional lifeguard."
The charity gave us their top tips for staying safe:
Look out for lifeguards - if you are looking for a place to cool off, always find a swimming site that has a lifeguard
Be extra careful around water, it is colder than it looks - water at open water and inland sites is often much colder than it looks, cold water can affect your ability to swim and self-rescue
If in the water stay close to the edge - always swim parallel to the shore, that way you're never too far away from it
Always stay with friends - if anything goes wrong, you've got someone there to help
Learn basic survival, self-rescue and rescue skills
Do not take any risks - you may think it is a good idea to play around in water unsupervised or to jump off rocks but it can be very dangerous and help may be a long way away.
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