
Going blue for World Drowning Prevention Day 25 July 2024
Volunteers from the Lyme Regis RNLI water safety team have teamed up with Seaton Town Council and East Devon District Council to highlight World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July 2024.
Drowning is a leading cause of death in all countries, and this is recognised each year by the identification of one day as World Drowning Prevention Day. This is the opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and to offer lifesaving solutions to prevent it.
The Lyme Regis RNLI water safety team will be at Fisherman's Gap, Seaton on 25 July from 1 pm to 4 pm to mark the day by offering water safety advice to adults and children.
Lyme Regis RNLI volunteer Water Safety Officer Steve Shaw said: ‘Providing accurate water safety information to the many different groups who use our local waters is a vital part of the RNLI charity’s mission to save lives at sea. Our aim on World Drowning Prevention Day is to remind people to stay safe and respect the water, float to live if you get into difficulty and call 999 and ask for the Coastguard in an emergency.’
The RNLI Lyme Regis team has previously worked with Seaton Town Council and East Devon District Council on water safety campaigns. The iconic starfish sticker can be found on all life rings along Seaton beach and Axmouth Harbour, and anyone planning to go into the water can simply scan the starfish QR code to access a wide range of water safety advice.
Seaton Mayor, Cllr Amrik Singh said: ‘Seaton Town Council remains fully committed to supporting the RNLI in its mission to save lives, and has an area dedicated to water safety information in the Tourist Information Centre. In response to the World Health Organisation’s call to do one thing for World Drowning Prevention Day, the Town Council will also be illuminating the Tourist Information Centre in blue on the night of 25 July.’
Globally there have been over 2.5 million deaths from drowning in the last decade and most of those deaths were preventable. Information on hazards and safety should reduce this in the future. Local water safety advice can be found online at www.seaton.gov.uk/water-safety or www.lymeregisharbour.co.uk/water safety. Also, on Facebook RNLI Lyme Regis Water Safety.
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Notes to editors:
A photo of the World Drowning Prevention Day banner. Photo Credit: Steve Shaw.
RNLI media contacts
For more information, please contact Nick Marks volunteer deputy lifeboat press officer at Lyme Regis Lifeboat Station on 07568 187582 or [email protected] or Emma Haines, Regional Communications Manager, on 07786 668847 or [email protected] or contact the RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.
Key facts about the RNLI
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
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Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries
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