Police and other emergency and rescue services are hosting a water safety fun day at Salford Quays to warn people of the dangers of swimming in unsupervised open water.
The event, which is in its third year, takes place on Saturday 14 May and is suitable for the whole family with plenty to see and do.
There will be demonstrations by a number of different organisations including the North West Underwater Search Team, Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS), Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) Royal Navy, Mountain Rescue, Maritime Volunteers Service and Royal Life Saving Society among others.
Inspector Matt Crofts from the Salford East Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Our water safety event is a fun family day out but with a very important and potentially lifesaving take home message.
“Swimming in unsupervised open water is incredibly dangerous and even the strongest of swimmers can find themselves in difficulty. Sadly, people have lost their lives in this way and we don’t want any other family to go through the same.
“Unless it is part of an organised event, we urge people not to swim into open water and instead visit their local swimming pool where they can swim safely under the supervision of a lifeguard.”
Chair of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor David Acton, said: “As the weather heats up it’s nice to enjoy outdoor space with family and friends and while we don’t want to stop people enjoying themselves, we want people to stay safe.
“Last year our specialist water rescue units attended nearly 140 incidents where people had got into difficulty in or around water.
“This is often due to people trying to swim in open waters – the water can be a lot colder than you think and this causes cold water shock. This means the body begins to shut down and you can lose the use of your limbs as your body attempts to protect the heart and vital organs, and this can be fatal.
“Cold water shock happens to even the strongest of swimmers – swimming in a pool is not the same as swimming in open water, which also has hidden dangers lurking underneath such as rocks, barbed wire and even shopping trolleys.”
Councillor David Lancaster, Lead Member for Environment and Community Safety at Salford City Council, said: “Salford City Council supports this event and we recently put new powers in place at Salford Quays which aim to address inconsiderate and dangerous use of the water space. We would discourage anyone from swimming open water unsupervised. There is a real danger someone could be seriously hurt or even die jumping from bridges into the water.
“Anyone who wants to swim in the Quays should join organised and well supervised swimming and water sports, rather than going it alone. Please be safe this summer.”
The event takes place on Saturday 14 May, 10am – 4pm on the Piazza at Dock 9 (outside the BBC building).
Taking part are Greater Manchester Police, The North West Underwater Search Unit, Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Sea Cadets, Maritime Volunteer Service, Salford City Council, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Mountain Rescue.
