Water Safety

Firefighters give businesses and residents vital water safety tips for World Drowning Prevention Day


  • Firefighters give lifesaving advice and skills to businesses and residents for World Drowning Prevention Day (July 25)
  • Greater Manchester Water Safety Strategic Partnership brings together key partners with the aim of preventing drownings across the city region
  • Events held at high-risk areas, including Canal Street and Salford Quays, where safety equipment such as reach poles and throw lines are installed so people know how to use them and what steps to take if someone gets into trouble in the water

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) last week held events across the city region to teach businesses and residents skills that could save a life.

This comes as part of World Drowning Prevention Day, which is an opportunity to share key safety information about Greater Manchester’s open water.

Throughout summer, GMFRS shares safety advice and guidance through their water safety campaign, including:

  • Float to Live: if you get into trouble in the water, tilt your head back with ears submerged; relax and control your breathing; move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat; it’s fine if your legs sink, we all float differently.
  • Call, Tell, Throw: If you see someone in difficulty in water, call 999 and ask for the fire service (or the coastguard if at sea), tell the struggling person to float on their back and throw them something that floats. Do not go into the water yourself.
  • Jumping in water can prove fatal: Water is often a lot shallower than it appears and hidden hazards lurk below the surface.
  • Even in hot weather the water is a lot colder: Jumping in can lead to cold water shock which can be fatal, even if you’re a strong swimmer.

Last week, Greater Manchester’s Water Safety Partnerships held events with businesses and the public in high-risk areas such as Canal Street in Manchester city centre, Stockport town centre, Pennington Flash  and Salford Quays to share these key messages and teach the practical skills that could save someone’s life if they get into difficulty in the water.

This includes how to use a throw line or a reach pole, which are installed near many water bodies across the city-region.

Jim Bridge, chair of Greater Manchester’s Water Safety Strategic Partnership, said:

“World Drowning Prevention Day is a central part of Greater Manchester Water Safety Strategic Partnership’s campaign calendar. It helps us inform the public about the dangers of open water. We are committed to educating our communities about water safety as we strive towards a future without drowning.”

GMFRS attended 23 fatal water incidents between April last year and June 17 this year, with 65 since April 2020.

The number of fatal water incidents GMFRS attended rose slightly in 2024/25 compared to the year before.

The Greater Manchester Water Safety Strategic Partnership involves stakeholders from all Greater Manchester boroughs and includes local authorities, Greater Manchester Police, North West Ambulance Service, local landowners, GMFRS as well as representatives from key national organisations such as Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Canal and River Trust and Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK).

The partnership’s aim is to reduce the number of drowning incidents in Greater Manchester, and the partnership has set out a strategic plan to establish a consistent approach and structure across all 10 boroughs. The objective is to share best practice and expertise to ensure that a consistent message is delivered across our city region.

Article Published: 28/07/2025 14:32 PM