The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service has issued urgent warnings after responding to 75 water-related incidents so far in 2026, including five fatal ones. At least three people died over a single weekend in June, involving rescues at Clifton Country Park, Cowbury Reservoir in Stalybridge, and the Island Lodge area in Tottington, Bury.
Heatwave Intensifies Drowning Risk
As the UK experiences its third official heatwave of the year, with local temperatures expected to exceed 30°C, fire officials are stressing the dangers of open water. Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel said: “It is vital that parents and children know the dangers of open water. Cold water shock can kill within minutes and there are often hazards in water that cannot be seen from the surface.”
The June weekend deaths included a 15-year-old boy named Leon, another 15-year-old, and a woman in her 60s, who have not yet been publicly identified. These tragedies bring the total number of open water deaths reported in the UK during the June heatwave to at least nine.
Safety Advice for Parents and Children
With school holidays approaching, the fire service is pushing its water safety message. All parents have been offered safety messaging from local schools. Russel advised: “If you see someone in trouble in the water, remember: ‘Phone, Float, Throw’. Always phone 999 and ask for fire if inland or the coastguard by sea, tell them to float on their back and throw them rescue equipment to help them float until emergency services arrive. Do not go in the water yourself.”
Key safety advice includes: if you get into difficulty, float to live by tilting your head back with ears submerged, relaxing, and moving your hands to stay afloat. Jumping in open water can be fatal due to cold water shock, even for strong swimmers, and hidden hazards lurk below the surface.
Recent UK Open Water Deaths
The fresh warnings come after a May heatwave saw 19 people lose their lives in open water across the UK, many of them children. Police and fire service bosses have again stressed the dangers of strong currents, low water temperatures, and debris beneath the surface. Water-safety information is available on the GMFRS website.
