West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) is urging people across the region to ‘#Be Water Aware’ for Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Week.
The call comes from UK fire chiefs to raise awareness of the dangers of everyday activities near water after statistics show that nearly 50% of people who accidently drown in the UK never intended to enter the water in the first place.
Over 300 people died in the UK in 2015 after tripping, falling or simply underestimating the risks associated with being near water.
In West Yorkshire the fire service responded to over 180 water related incidents between 2012 and 2016 – 10 of which turned out to be fatal.
Throughout the week, crews will be out promoting water safety in communities around West Yorkshire and giving advice on how to minimise the risk of becoming one of these statistics.