WATER safety talks for Drowning Prevention Week have been given at two local primary schools in Barry recently.
St Helen’s Primary and Gladstone Primary were two of 11 schools in the Vale visited by Adam Taylor and Aimee Johnson. The pair make up Legacy Leisure’s Swim Development Team which operates on behalf of the Vale Council.
The annual event took place in June and is dedicated to raising awareness about water safety and promoting measures to prevent drowning incidents. It serves as a reminder of the importance of water safety education, supervision, and preventative measures to save lives and protect people from drowning.
Swim Wales says that in Wales, drowning is the second most common cause of non-intentional death in children under 18 years, after transport related fatalities.
- 79% of the children and young people were male.
- Almost half of the children and young people were taking part in activities where they had not intended entering the water when the fatal incident occurred.
- In fatalities involving the under 18-year age group who were Welsh residents, the majority (94%) resided in the same local authority in which the incident occurred.
- There were 28 deaths in Wales from accidental water-related fatalities in 2023 across inland and coastal locations, compared with 22 the previous year.
Hywel Evans, the national aquatic impact manager for Parkwood Leisure, said: “With drowning one of the leading causes of accidental death, it is imperative to educate the public, particularly children and young adults, on how to stay safe in and around water.”
Hywel praised the work carried out in the Vale by Aimee and Adam: “I am proud to highlight the significant impact our outreach programs, delivered by Adam Taylor and Aimee Johnson, have had on the community. Through a variety of initiatives, including safety themed swimming lessons, workshops, and public awareness campaigns, we have reached thousands of residents in The Vale and Cardiff, equipping them with essential skills and knowledge to prevent drowning.”
Andy Gavan, coxswain at RNLI Barry said: “Anyone can drown. No one should. Behind the scenes at Barry Dock RNLI our volunteers do an incredible amount of work on water safety and prevention, ranging from school visits to open stands where people can come and chat and gain safety advice.
“Our main advice is to visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags. RNLI lifeguards are there to offer advice on how to stay safe and they are also there to help anyone who gets into trouble. We want people to think about their own safety, take time to familiarise themselves with our advice and share this with their friends and people.”
Legacy Leisure work in close partnership with Swim Wales and the RLSS to highlight the importance of learning to swim and developing water competence skills. In Wales they are estimated to have approximately 5,000 pupils across five pools and 2,500 in the Vale alone across three sites (Penarth Leisure Centre, Barry Leisure Centre and Llantwit Major Leisure Centre).
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