‘Floating to Live saved my life’: Share our lifesaving message

Watch Euan’s story

Euan and his brother Andrew were at Longsands beach last summer enjoying the surf when they got into trouble. Euan left the water to get a different surfboard and, while he was out of the sea, he saw his brother being pulled towards a well-known rip current. He shouted for his brother to swim back but he couldn’t, so Euan ran in to help him.

Euan explains what happened next in this film (which you can also watch below).

New data shows Gen Z underestimate risk at the coast

• In 2024, there were 193 accidental drowning fatalities in the UK and 84% were male. Men aged 20 to 29 were the highest group for accidental drowning fatalities.*

• In support of this year’s campaign, our Research Team worked with Basis Research on a survey to better understand people’s attitudes towards water safety. The results show that Gen Z significantly underestimate risk at the coast:

• 44%** of Gen Z think they are not as likely to get into trouble in the water as their friends.

• 37% said they would stand close to the edge of open water if it was worth it for a good photo, compared to just 27% of all other respondents.

• 26% said that following safety rules would spoil their enjoyment of open water.

• 28% said they wouldn’t want to seem overly cautious around open water in front of their friends.

• Almost half (44%) of Gen Z said their friends would not be afraid to take risks near the water, significantly higher than the rest of the respondents with 37% agreeing.

• Although Gen Z are more likely to take risks at the coast, over a third (36%) said they would not know to float if they got into trouble in the water.

• However, 96% of Gen Z also said that being safe around water was important to them.

Emmie Seward Adams, RNLI Water Safety Delivery Support, says: ‘These figures clearly tell us that while young people are open to taking risks at open water and the coast, they wouldn’t know what to do if they get into trouble in the water.

‘We know that there will be a huge amount of people visiting open water and the coast over the coming months and we want everyone to remember our Float to Live advice. Instinctively, most people who find themselves struggling in the water will begin to panic, swim, or thrash about. We’re urging people to ignore this instinct and remember to float.’

*waid2024-fatalities_report_for-web-draft-final.xlsx
**RNLI Water Safety Campaign Research May 2026. Conducted by Basis Research on behalf of the RNLI. Representative sample of all UK adults (18+) 1,012 responses

You can help save a life

You have a vital role to play in sharing this simple, lifesaving advice:

• Talk about Float to Live with your friends, family and communities.

• Engage with and share the RNLI’s social content throughout the campaign.

• Encourage people to practise Floating to Live in a supervised location.

• Look at our updated Float to Live toolkit for more ideas and content to share.

• Catch-up on the Float to Live webinar to learn more about the campaign and how it has made a difference so far.

Do you know how to Float?

Our Float to Live advice is:

• Tilt your head back, submerging your ears.

• Relax and control your breathing.

• Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat.

• Your legs may sink – that’s OK. Everyone floats differently.

• Practise floating at a supervised location like a swimming pool.

If you see someone else struggling in water:

• Phone 999 to get help

• Tell them to stay calm and float on their back

• Throw rescue equipment to help them float until emergency services arrive. 

For more information visit RNLI.org/Float.

Look out for the campaign launch today

We’re launching our 2026 Float to Live campaign at The Wave in Bristol, a unique inland surf location that simulates real waves.

Jordan Wylie, award winning adventurer and TV personality, is on hand to help with the launch and will be having a go at floating along with RNLI lifeguards.

Jordan says: ‘If you remember one thing this summer when heading to the coast, make sure it’s the RNLI’s Float to Live advice. This simple technique really could save your life if you get into trouble in the water.’