The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) published figures on 7 June 2024 showing that accidental drowning deaths among children in England rose from 20 in 2019-20 to 41 in 2022-23. The charity said the data, drawn from the National Child Mortality Database, shows a significant increase over the four years1.
RLSS UK said a total of 125 children accidentally lost their lives to drowning in the last four years, and that more than half of child drownings occur in June, July and August1. Its Drowning Prevention Week campaign runs from 15 to 22 June 2024 and is targeted at young children and families, with the aim of equipping as many people as possible with water safety knowledge1. During the 2023 campaign, the charity says its materials and resources were used to educate over 1.85 million children in water safety knowledge and skills1.
Matt Croxall, Charity Director at RLSS UK, said:
"We are urging parents to stay vigilant in, on and around water, both at home and when spending time outdoors and to have the water safety conversation with their children."
The charity also said warmer summer days would inevitably see people flock to open water sites across the UK and Ireland, as well as enjoying water at home in the garden, and that the campaign works to give families the skills and knowledge to enjoy water safely during the summer months and beyond1. RLSS UK has free new and updated educational resources on its website for children, including lesson plans for schools and downloadable resources for parents, as well as a video animation supporting families in learning the Water Safety Code1.
Why it matters for households
The figures cover England, and the charity says the summer months carry the highest risk, with more than half of child drownings occurring in June, July and August1. The campaign period from 15 to 22 June 2024 falls at the start of that window. RLSS UK's advice, attributed to its charity director, is that parents stay vigilant in, on and around water, both at home and outdoors, and have the water safety conversation with their children1. The charity points households to its free lesson plans for schools and downloadable resources for parents, and to its video animation on the Water Safety Code1. For households wanting to keep track of official warnings and safety announcements as they are issued, the site's staying informed hub sets out how to do so.
What happens next
Drowning Prevention Week runs from 15 to 22 June 20241. RLSS UK says it is looking to educate even more young people on water safety than the 1.85 million children reached during the 2023 campaign1. No further dates beyond the campaign week have been reported.
