East Sussex residents urged to stay away from the water this festive season

ESFRS is supporting the national Don’t Drink and Drown campaign run by the Royal Life Saving Society UK.

Residents are being urged to make good choices, look after one another and make sure that safe routes home after festivities are used.

According to the fire service over the last five years there have been more than 1,400 accidental deaths in the UK and more than 30 per cent of the victims were found to have alcohol and/or drugs in their bloodstream. Young men are one of the highest risk groups.

Dawn Whittaker, chief fire officer for the fire service, said, “People tragically die each year because they’ve entered the water under the influence, sometimes deliberately or more often, completely by accident.

“Alcohol and drugs can seriously impede your ability to survive in water. If you’ve had a drink, stay away from the water.

“Most people who drown when under the influence have done so by falling in whilst walking alone near water. “This year, more people are likely to be drinking at home and so we are urging people to consider their actions when heading home.

“We are all looking forward to enjoying some level of festivities this year, and we’re asking for ‘guardian angels’ to stand up and be counted – if somebody is leaving your house when under the influence then make sure they have a safe route home.”

The national campaign Don’t Drink and Drown was launched in 2014 following a string of tragic drownings of young people.

The campaign has two targeted time frames when alcohol-related drownings have shown to be particularly high. These time periods are the start of a new university term in September and around the festive period in December.

The Royal Life Saving Society aims to continue to drive down the rate of alcohol-related fatalities in it says what are usually completely avoidable tragic incidents.

For more information visit www.rlss.org.uk