Fire chiefs call for urgent action on drownings
Fire chiefs are calling for urgent national action to prevent drownings after a 16-year-old boy died while swimming in a lake during a spell of hot weather.
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has urged the Government to give fire services in England a legal duty to respond to water emergencies, such as rescues in rivers, lakes and canals.
The call comes during the NFCC's Be Water Aware campaign and as emergency services report a rise in water-related incidents.
The teenager died after getting into difficulty at Colwick Country Park in Nottingham on Wednesday evening. His body was recovered hours later.
Chief Inspector David Mather of Nottinghamshire Police said: 'While work is now under way to understand how the boy came into difficulty, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water – regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently.'
Tom Staples, from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the incident was a 'stark reminder' of the hidden dangers in open water.
NFCC water safety lead Chris Kirby said: '1,400 people have died in accidental drowning incidents across just five years.
'We need urgent action to prevent anybody else coming to harm and that requires steps being taken at a national level.'
The NFCC says the lack of a legal duty in England means fire services face limits on how much they can invest in water rescue training, equipment and education. It also leads to inconsistencies across the UK, with Wales having a statutory duty for inland water rescue, and Scotland and Northern Ireland holding duties in relation to major flooding.
Kirby said clearer responsibilities for fire and rescue services, backed by law and funding, would help improve emergency response and public safety campaigns.
Figures from the Water Incident Database show 1,409 people died in accidental drownings between 2019 and 2023, with more than half in inland waters.
The NFCC also wants the Government to appoint a lead department or minister for water safety to better coordinate prevention work.
Temperatures reached 29.3C at Kew Gardens in London on Thursday – the hottest May 1 on record – with fire services warning of a surge in water incidents.
The London Fire Brigade said such incidents were up 32% last month.
Assistant Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne said: 'Even when the sun is shining, water temperatures can be dangerously cold.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
5 hours ago
- The Sun
Tinkering with smartphone rules won't save our kids – the damage they do means we must BAN them now
Sophie Winkleman, Actress and campaigner Published: Invalid Date, ARE we finally witnessing the tide turning against kids' use of smartphones? Head teachers are now calling for a limit on children's screen time and the government is considering an 'app curfew.' 2 2 The government's Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has said he wants to 'break some of the addictive behaviour' of the online world. Okay B+ for effort Peter but could try harder. 'Some' was your downfall. There's no such thing as temperance when it comes to smartphones. They're unputdownable. A two-hour cap on each app is better than nothing but with Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok being just three of children's favourite brain-melters this is already six hours of social media before they've even got out their homework. The idea of a curfew with a 10pm cut-off point is also a good one but come on, go tougher on the app limits - make it a two-hour total - or, grow a pair and illegalise social media for the Under 16s. None of them would miss it and they might actually meet up with a friend, kick a football around or read a book. The 'nanny state' has a bad rap as a concept, and quite rightly when it comes to adults - let us do what we want please. But when children are malfunctioning this seriously a nanny state is exactly what we need. We parents are doing our best, but we just can't do it alone. Peer pressure is immense. What parent hasn't felt cruel denying their child a phone to 'keep up with friends' and ended up surrendering? 'It was so loud,' ex teacher says banning phones transformed school overnight But smartphones are turning fun-loving and inquisitive children into hollow addicts the minute they get hold of them. The premise that smartphones are 'connecting' our children in a positive fashion is false. Because rather than playing with their friends or family they are alone in the rooms with their phones. The Sun's revelation last week that a Year 6 primary school student received 9,000 messages on Whatsapp over a 15 hour period reveals exactly what we are up against. The stats are truly horrific. More than a million British children per year are referred to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Services, the vast majority suffering from severe depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders and suicidal behaviour. Conspiracy theories It is not surprising when they are subject to graphic images of real murders, massacres and terrifyingly violent porn, algorithms feeding on their insecurities and sending them more and more damaging content. Children are encouraged to take part in potentially lethal games and challenges, resulting in many accidental deaths. Girls are told that anorexia is empowering then sent starvation tips and 'how to make mum think you've eaten your dinner' pointers. Children are fed conspiracy theories, radicalising their eager young minds, they're connected to gang members in their area, they're groomed, sextorted, preyed on and they're even told how to kill themselves. While government action is welcome, none of the restrictions suggested go nearly far enough. Why can't we get tough like Australia and New Zealand and ban social media for the Under 16s? Why can't we get tough like Australia and New Zealand and ban social media for the Under 16s? Or the 16 US states which have done the same thing? Or France - where all pornography users now have to verify their age using government ID or a credit card. Britain was meant to lead the way in child safety with the Online Safety Act. But Ofcom, responsible for implementing the legislation, is just not as tough as many international regulators. Or why can't we ban smartphones for the Under 16s and come up with a brand new product - a child-appropriate, safe phone with limited app functionality for things like banking and travel, simple calls and texts? Also UK, just STOP IT with the EdTech (educational technology)!!! We don't want our kids drowning in screen time during class and for their homework!! Sure, teach them how to use AI judiciously in senior school but no more of these silly apps masquerading as educational PLEASE. Doctors advise that children up to 17 should not be spending more than 1-2 hours a day on any form of screen. Schools have a responsibility to heed this advice. Not only is too much screen time bad for children's eyesight but it damages their sleep rhythms, their hormones, their spinal health and their attention spans. Bill Gates himself has admitted that 'devices have a lousy record in the classroom'. Steve Jobs didn't let his own kids have iPads. UNESCO found that children who used computers frequently in the classroom did a 'lot worse' academically than their book-based peers. A massive study by educational researcher John Jerrim showed that students who revised for academic tests by reading books and handwriting outperformed their computer-based counterparts twenty times over - the equivalent of six months of extra school!! Sweden has kicked screens out of the classroom, reverting to books, pen and paper. They called EdTech a 'failed experiment' Sweden has kicked screens out of the classroom, reverting to books, pen and paper. They called EdTech a 'failed experiment'. Many Big Tech employees in the US send their children to low or no-tech schools such as the Waldorf School of the Peninsula in California. So why does our government continue to listen to social media and EdTech firms when they argue that their products are good for our children? Where is the clinical evidence? Because few children or parents believe it. I have spoken to countless teens around the country and they all say that they're only on social media 'because everyone else is'. Most would love to be liberated from it all and free to learn, relax, have fun and sleep well. A survey last year found that 77 percent of parents wanted a smartphone ban for under 16s. Saving our youngest, most vulnerable minds from these corrosive devices is a vote-winner. Come on, Peter Kyle. Must do better. Teachers want it, parents want it and children want it. It's time the government wanted it too.
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- The Guardian
Questions grow over unprecedented illegal firearms seizure in Jamaica
Jamaicans are seeking answers after officials revealed a massive illegal firearms seizure described by experts as the largest in the country's history, with enough guns and ammunition to 'arm a small army'. More than a week after the police and customs said they had intercepted 233 illegal rifles and handguns and more than 40,000 rounds of ammunition, the government has remained tight-lipped about the details of the find, arguing that revealing more information would hamper a sensitive cross-border investigation into their origin and the identity of those involved. According to unconfirmed local reports, the guns and ammunition were discovered inside an industrial-sized water heater at a warehouse in the country's capital, Kingston. Announcing the seizure in a hastily organised press conference, the deputy prime minister and minister of security, Horace Chang, told journalists that the operation was 'reported a bit early'. Chang refused to give details of the operation, telling reporters that 'the more we talk about it, the less likely we are to find' those responsible, adding: 'In fact, too much information [has] already gone out.' Jason McKay, a criminologist, said that Jamaica – which is already battling high homicide rates linked to gun trafficking from the US – should be treating the discovery of 'enough guns to fight a government' as a crisis. 'You could literally arm a small army with that. At this point in time, our sovereignty is in question,' he said. 'That much guns and ammunition falling into any environment could cause mayhem. If you were to drop that much guns and ammunition into London, you could change the culture of London crime. So it has to be looked at as a crisis.' The government has hailed the gun find as a product of a $50bn (£37bn) investment in security and efforts to tackle organised crime. Andrew Holness, Jamaica's prime minister, told reporters it was the result of improvements in resources for the Jamaica Customs Agency, improved partnerships with international partners and 'significant investment' in scanning technology. Holness also avoided details, saying the weapons had been discovered with scanning technology and predicting that increased interdiction would reduce the supply of guns in Jamaica. 'The investigations are ongoing, and I am certain that our security forces will track down, along with our international partners, those who were responsible for this,' he said. Last year the New York attorney general, Letitia James, announced new measures and legislation to tackle gun trafficking from the US to the Caribbean. James quoted Jamaican government estimates that at least 200 guns are trafficked into the country from the US every month, and said that the weapons are fuelling violent crime and enabling networks that traffic drugs to the US. The Jamaican government also pointed to a historic 43% drop in murders since last year. 'That means we have a reduction of … [about] 210 murders compared to the period last year, that is, January to May. This is the lowest rate of homicide in the island since 1991,' Chang told reporters. Kamina Johnson Smith, the foreign minister, said the strong crime reduction trend has resulted in the US upgrading Jamaica's travel advisory from level three, which urges travellers to 'reconsider your travel to the destination due to serious risks to safety and security'. Jamaica's advisory, she said, is now at level two – the same as 'much larger and more developed countries' such as Spain and the UK. 'This improvement is a timely acknowledgment of Jamaica's continued progress in enhancing public safety, as well as the travel experience for visitors,' she added. However, while McKay has lauded the 'amazing' reduction in crime, he has called for 'extreme measures' to deal with the rising number of guns being trafficked. He said: 'Of course, the police are doing their best to recover them, but if they're going to come in at this rate, then it's not going to be quantifiable. You have to do something drastic at this point.' The criminologist said that capital punishment should be considered. 'Jail time isn't enough for somebody who's importing 220 guns. It's more than them just endangering one person's life or two [people's lives]; they're endangering the entire society's life in Jamaica,' he said.
Powys County Times
15 hours ago
- Powys County Times
More than £1 billion paid to those wronged by Horizon scandal, Government says
More than £1 billion has been paid in financial redress to subpostmasters wronged by the Horizon IT scandal, the Government has said. The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) said money has now been paid out to more than 7,300 subpostmasters across all Horizon-related redress schemes. The announcement comes just weeks after lead campaigner and former subpostmaster Sir Alan Bates said the schemes had 'turned into quasi-kangaroo courts'. Sir Alan told the Sunday Times last month that DBT 'sits in judgement of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses'. Between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 subpostmasters were prosecuted after faulty Horizon accounting software made it look as though money was missing from their accounts. Many are still awaiting compensation. In figures published on Monday, DBT said £559 million has been paid out to 6,337 claimants from the Horizon shortfall scheme. The data also says that of the 555 people who joined Sir Alan Bates in taking the Post Office to court between 2017 and 2019, also known as the Group Litigation Order Scheme (GLO), 488 have received £167 million between them. Elsewhere, £245 million has been paid out to 463 subpostmasters who had their convictions quashed by legislation put in place last summer, and £68 million has been paid to those who have had their convictions quashed in the courts, DBT said. Post Office minister Gareth Thomas said: 'Since entering Government, it has been our priority to speed up the delivery of compensation to victims of the Horizon scandal and today's milestone shows how much progress has been made. 'We are settling cases every day and getting compensation out more quickly for the most complex cases, but the job isn't done until every postmaster has received fair and just redress.' Post Office chief executive Neil Brocklehurst said: 'I welcome the news that over £1 billion has been paid to victims of the Horizon IT Scandal. 'Each week we are seeing more people receive their final settlements so they can begin to look beyond this painful chapter of their lives. 'However, I am also aware that more work remains to be done so that all victims receive full redress as quickly as possible and this is an absolute priority for the Post Office. 'And finally, to anyone else who thinks they may have been affected, I encourage you to come forward and apply for redress.'
