As South Central Ambulance Service’s month-long water safety campaign enters its final week, two of our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) paramedics are stepping forward to share their advice.
Tom and Aidan, who are highly trained in responding to emergencies in challenging environments – including water rescues – have created five short social media reels highlighting their water safety tips.
Their advice is simple, but lifesaving:
- Always check your environment before entering the water
- Know who to call in an emergency – dial 999 and ask for the coastguard if you’re at the coast or at sea, and ask for the fire service for inland water incidents
- Never swim alone – if you’re open water or sea swimming, always swim with a buddy, and make sure children are always supervised
- Learn the RNLI’s ‘Float to Live’ technique to help you stay calm and survive if you find yourself unexpectedly in the water
- Use the right flotation device – wear a life jacket if you’re not planning to go into the water, or a buoyancy aid if you are.
Tom and Aidan hope that by sharing these simple steps, more people will stay safe and avoid preventable emergencies while enjoying the water this summer.
Look out for the reels on the SCAS Facebook and Instagram channels.
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