With the summer holidays about to get underway and the hottest day of the year recently recorded, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) has urged residents to resist the temptation to swim in open water as it can have tragic consequences.

In the UK, around 400 people accidentally drown every year. RBFRS attends numerous water-related incidents and is aiming to reduce the number of people who tragically drown by raising awareness of the everyday dangers of being near water.

One of the main dangers is cold-water shock, as although water can sometimes feel warm on the surface, just a few feet below it may be icy cold. This can have a dramatic effect on your body, such as causing you to breathe in water, make your muscles weaken, and can even cause your heart to go into abnormal rhythms, ultimately resulting in death.

Beneath the surface of the water there may also be unseen currents and reeds, which can pull even the most capable swimmers under.

The RBFRS uses its specialist water rescue unit to respond to emergencies and the unit will be on show at an open day to be held at Dee Road Fire Station on Friday, August 12.

Jess James, Station Commander at Caversham Road Fire Station said: “On a hot day it might be quite appealing to jump in for a swim to cool yourself down. However, don’t be tempted to cool off in rivers, lakes, canals and quarries; it can have deadly consequences.

“We have attended many incidents, which despite our best efforts have had devastating outcomes, many of which are made more tragic by the fact they could have been avoided. Our advice is very clear: be water wise, be water safe.”

Further information about the open day at Dee Road Fire Station will be published at www.rbfrs.co.uk in due course.