FIRE and rescue professionals for South Gloucestershire are reminding people to take care near water as part of Drowning Prevention Week.

Avon Fire & Rescue Service are supporting the campaign which is run by The Royal Life Saving Society and taking place between Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 26.

The service are joining the campaign to promote safety, highlighting statistics that show one person drowns every 20 hours in the UK and hundreds more suffering life changing injuries through near drowning.

The advice available on the Avon Fire & Rescue Service website explain the risks water pose, how to keep yourself safe, and what steps to take if someone is in trouble.

Rob Seaman, station manager for technical rescue, said: “The recent tragedies bring into sharp perspective why water safety is so important, particularly at this time of year.

“Drowning Prevention Week is about highlighting the dangers many people aren’t perhaps aware of in the hope that we can prevent one of the hundreds of drownings each year in the UK.

“Although rivers, canals and reservoirs looked tempting on a warm day they can be extremely cold which can cause even very strong swimmers to get into difficulty very quickly.”

For more information and advice on river safety visit www.avonfire.gov.uk