Sadly every year young people drown in open water, and according to statistics from the Water Incident Database, there were 277 deaths in the UK from accidental drownings in 2021.
Elliott Davidson from online open water swimming experts Swimguard.co.uk has revealed the hidden dangers lurking under the surface.
His tips will help to keep you safe and potentially save your life if you dive in this summer.
He explained: “People love to swim in the open water, especially when the sun’s out and the temperature is sky-high but you need to make sure you’re aware of the risks before heading into the water.”
Here’s what he had to say.
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His tips will help to keep you safe and potentially save your life if you dive in this summer.
![If you find yourself in trouble the one thing you should do is stay calm. It’ll be tempting to flail your arms around in an effort to stay afloat and get attention drawn to you but this will soon tire you out and also raise your body temperature, increasing the likelihood of hyperthermia and your limbs losing mobility. Stay calm, call for help, and stay afloat. It’s that simple.](https://www.scotsman.com/webimg/b25lY21zOmZiZmRhMDRmLWY4NGMtNDU3Mi04MjkwLTYyZjIxYmNmZWIzZjowM2YwNzdiOS0wOWUwLTQzNzUtYjQyMC0xNzNkNGUzY2UyMGU=.jpg?crop=3:2&width=640)
9. Stay calm
If you find yourself in trouble the one thing you should do is stay calm. It’ll be tempting to flail your arms around in an effort to stay afloat and get attention drawn to you but this will soon tire you out and also raise your body temperature, increasing the likelihood of hyperthermia and your limbs losing mobility. Stay calm, call for help, and stay afloat. It’s that simple. Photo: Canva/Getty Images