WARRINGTON leisure provider LiveWire teamed up with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service to conduct mock rescue demonstrations to teach school children about the dangers of water.
The demonstration (pictured), which took place at Orford Jubilee Neighbourhood Hub was one of a number of mock water rescues that LiveWire has organised across its leisure centres over the course of this week to mark Drowning Prevention Week.
Figures released recently revealed six people drown every week in UK waters and LiveWire, as Warrington’s largest leisure provider, is committed to ensuring that young people in the borough know how to have fun and stay safe in water.
Over the course of the week more than 1000 year three and four children from a range of primary schools across Warrington have observed the rescues and have also been given a water safety talk by Cheshire Fire and Rescue.
The mock rescues were conducted by crews from the Winwick Road station with trained staff from LiveWire acting as the casualties. Winwick Road has a rapid response rescue team and in the last year they have been called to 11 water safety incidents in Warrington.
At the end of the session the children were given plastic bottles with the water safety code printed on them that were provided by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Ann Burgess, Aquatics Manager at LiveWire said: “Shockingly drowning is the third highest cause of accidental death of children in the UK with 400 people drowning in our waters every year and thousands more suffering injury. The LiveWire Aquatics team engages with 4600 children across Warrington every year and wants to ensure they are able to enjoy water safely”.
Paul Jackson, Station Manager from Warrington Fire Station said: “Working with Livewire has been a great opportunity for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service to get some vital safety advice out to a large group of school children in the run up to the summer holidays. We hope that the young people follow our advice and avoid getting into difficulties in and around our waterways”.
