PFCC David Allen attended a water safety presentation to hear about the ‘Float to Live’ campaign and how it can save lives.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service attended 43 water rescues between April 2023 and April 2024, with the highest number of incidents occurring at Keswick and Carlisle East/West.

The locations that saw the highest number of incidents included lakes, rivers, and ponds. 

The RNLI charity recommends that if you find yourself struggling in the water unexpectedly, you should ‘Float to Live’, even though your instincts tell you to swim hard. It is the cold-water shock that makes people gasp uncontrollably and breathe in water. 

PFCC David Allen said: "When enjoying the lakes, rivers, and waterways around Cumbria, we need to expect the unexpected. Even when water may appear calm and safe, it can sometimes be deceptive.

“The average water temperature here in Cumbria is approximately 10 to 13 degrees all year round, which means people will quickly feel the effects of cold-water shock on their bodies.

“Drowning is preventable. It’s about keeping ourselves safe whether in, on, and around water and remembering the five simple steps around the ‘float to live’ message. It may well save your life.

"As your Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner, I am the voice of residents within policing and fire – I am your voice.

"If any member of the public has a concern about water safety, or around the Constabulary or Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, please raise it with me at commissioner@cumbria-pcc.gov.uk or call 01768 217734."

Andrew Lowes, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service’s station manager for prevention said: “We are very supportive of Drowning Prevention Week, and our crews are out about all this week proactively delivering safety messages to people in our communities.

“It is important that people know how to react if they – or someone they are with – gets into difficulty in the water, and we encourage everyone to visit the ‘water safety’ section of our website to equip themselves with this vital safety information as we enter the busy summer months.”