Don't be tempted to cool off in open water

Jul 23, 2021

Good evening

We all know how tempting it is to head to water when the weather is hot and in the past 10 days the heatwave has been insufferable.

We consider ourselves lucky to live so near the coast when we have been cooped up for so long, but the tragedies we have seen recently show how dangerous swimming in open water can be.

Eight people have died across the North West in the last 10 days - in rivers, lakes and at sea - and several more have been pulled from the water and survived their ordeal.

The latest incident involved 16-year-old Frank Varey, a well-known boxing hopeful, who died in the River Dee.

This shocking news comes at the same time as Lancashire mum Becky Ramsey has been fighting for young people across the country to be better educated on water safety by adding it to the school curriculum. Her battle began with the death of her son Dylan in a water-filled quarry 10 years ago.

These terrible tragedies show how vital her campaign is and how it deserves to be a success.

Until next time, take care,

Gillian

Drop me a line at gillian.parkinson@jpimedia.co.uk with your views and please subscribe to support sustainable local journalism in your community. Click here to view our offers.

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