Donate now
A young man is fully clothed in the open water. His face is above the water, looking up to the sky, and his arms and legs are stretched out, gently moving to help him stay afloat.

Float to Live

Would you know what to do if you got into difficulty in the water? Float by following these five simple steps – it could save your life.
RNLI

If you get into trouble in the water – float to live

5 steps to know how to float

However you got there, if you end up in difficulty in the water, Float to Live.

  1. 1

    Tilt your head back

    submerging your ears.

  2. 2

    Relax

    and control your breathing.

  3. 3

    Move your hands and legs

    to help you stay afloat.

  4. 4

    Your legs may sink - that's OK

    everyone floats differently.

  5. 5

    Find your float

    by practising at a
    supervised location.

If you get into trouble in the water, float.

The best way to float is to tilt your head back with your ears submerged. Try to relax and breathe normally. You can gently move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to. Spread your arms and legs out to improve stability – and it's OK if your legs sink, we all float differently. Once your breathing is under control, call for help or swim to safety. Practise floating in a supervised location like a swimming pool.

Why floating helps you survive

Floating give you the chance to rest and recover your breathing. Once you’ve regained control of your breathing, you can call for help or swim to safety.

This advice is useful to everyone, however you use the water. It has helped save the lives of more than 50 people in all sorts of situations. From children in rip currents to runners falling into canals, from people swept out by waves, to fisherman falling overboard.

Float to Live survival stories

Meet the people who helped save themselves from danger by remembering to Float to Live.

Euan Gray

Euan Gray

'It was like trying to swim on a treadmill'
Katie Laurie and Will Peckham

Katie Laurie and Will Peckham

'I was running out of energy to tread water – I was racking my brain for ways not to die, then I remembered I’d seen a sign with the float to live advice.'
Ravi Saini

Ravi Saini

'I was getting pulled out to sea. I thought this was the end of my life!'
Agnieszka Kwiecien

Aggie Kwiecien

'A calm voice in my head said: "OK, you've fallen into the canal. You know what to do, you mustn't panic."'
Evan Chrisp

Evan Chrisp

'Two big waves just came over us. I was panicking, trying to fight the water and swim.'
Tina West

Tina West

'I went for a paddle in the sunshine and when I went to put my feet down there was nothing there.'
Ruth Osborne

Ruth Osborne

'I shouted and shouted, but nobody heard me. I just thought: "That's it, that's me gone."'
Digital screen landscape image

Float to Live resources

This Float to Live Toolkit could save lives. The only thing it needs is you. Download and share these resources.

Download resources

Share the Float to Live advice

Make sure your loved ones know what do if they get into difficulty too. Help them learn how to float.

A fully-clothed man underwater after falling into the water

RNLI

What is cold water shock?

When in cold water (anything below 15°C), your body can go into cold water shock. If this happens, you lose control of your breathing and movement. Cold water shock also causes your heart rate and blood pressure to quickly increase, which can lead to cardiac arrest.

The average sea temperature around the UK and Ireland is just 12°C. Inland waters like lakes, rivers, lochs and reservoirs can be colder - even in the summer.

If you fall into cold water, or enter the water unexpectedly:

  • Take a minute. The initial effects of cold water pass in less than a minute so don’t try to swim straight away.
  • Relax and Float to Live.
  • Keep calm then call for help or swim for safety if you’re able.
How to deal with cold water shock
Rip current

Rip currents

Rip currents are powerful currents that run out to sea. They can quickly drag you away from the shore and into deep water.

They can be difficult to spot, and it’s easy to get caught out by them. The best way to avoid rip currents is to choose a lifeguarded beach and always swim between the red and yellow flags. 

If you get caught in a rip current, don’t swim directly against it or you’ll get exhausted. If you can stand, try to wade out of the rip current – don’t swim. If the water is too deep to stand, swim parallel to the beach until you’re free of the rip and head for shore. And if you’re in difficulty, raise one hand, shout for help and Float to Live.

Find out more about rips