Britons have been urged to keep safe following the deaths of nine people who got into trouble in open water after days of record-breaking heat across the UK. The Royal Life Saving Society issued a plea for everyone to 'stop and think' before getting into the water in response to the fatalities, most of whom were children.
The society noted that 'warmer weather unfortunately correlates to an increase in accidental drownings' and that despite warmer air, 'water temperatures remain very cold.' The warning comes after the UK recorded its hottest meteorological spring temperature, with parts of London hitting 34.8C on Monday, and Tuesday becoming the hottest May day on record for both England and Wales, according to the Met Office. Kew Gardens provisionally reached 35.1C, while Cardiff Bute Park hit 32.9C.
Incidents Across the Country
People across the UK have died after struggling in open water in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire in recent days. Among the victims was Declan Sawyer, 15, who died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on Sunday. The same day, a 72-year-old woman died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, at around 3.15pm.
On Monday, a 13-year-old boy, understood to be Reco Puttock, died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, while the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire. Also on Monday, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to help two family members who were in difficulty, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the body of a teenager was recovered from the water at Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, South Yorkshire Police said. Another body was found in the search for a teenage boy who went missing after he was last seen swimming at Hawley Lake on the Hampshire/Surrey border on Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday evening, Lancashire Police said a body had been recovered from the River Ribble after a 12-year-old boy got into difficulty while swimming with friends at Ribchester. On Wednesday, Cheshire Police said the body of a 17-year-old boy was found after he went missing in Pickmere Lake at Marston, Northwich.
Warnings from Authorities
Along with the nine deaths in the UK, the Gardai in Ireland also reported that a teenage girl died in the sea at Burrow Beach, a popular swimming spot near Howth, on Sunday. The RNLI has warned of the 'very real risk' of swimming in open water during the heatwave. Visits to NHS web pages have surged during the heatwave as people sought advice on how to stay safe. NHS England said there were 20,092 visits to its heatstroke advice page on bank holiday Monday, compared to just 488 the previous Monday. Over the whole weekend, there were 36,724 hits. Parents also sought advice on how to keep their babies safe, with visits to NHS web pages for baby first aid and sun safety tips surging by almost 3,500% on Monday, with 4,728 hits.
Health Risks and Weather Outlook
While many people enjoyed the sunny bank holiday weekend, older people and babies can be particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. There is also a risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion, which is caused by the body losing too much water and salt, and can lead to heatstroke, a life-threatening illness. Temperatures are expected to cool slightly in parts of the UK in the coming days, but health officials have confirmed that heat health alerts would be extended for 24 hours. The UK Health Security Agency said amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands and the East of England will remain in place until 5pm on Thursday, with yellow heat-health alerts for the North West and North East. The Met Office has also issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of Wales, the South West of England and parts of the Midlands for 3pm to 11.59pm on Wednesday. The warning stretches from Plymouth up to Holyhead and could bring torrential downpours of rain, frequent lightning, large hail and strong, gusty winds.
