The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) is urging people to stay vigilant when in, on or around water this summer as part of its annual Drowning Prevention Week campaign, from 14 to 21 June 2025. 

New figures show that 249 people accidentally drowned in the UK and Ireland in 2024, with more than 1,600 lives lost in the last five years.

Water safety code video

Following the release of this new data from the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) and the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK), is targeting young children and families to learn the Water Safety Code through its video animation.

The national water safety education campaign aims to ensure as many people as possible are equipped with vital lifesaving knowledge to allow them to enjoy water safely this summer.  

Cllr Mhairi Doyle, Sefton Council Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “We want people to enjoy our coast, but we urge visitors to think about their safety and take time to familiarise themselves with the water safety advice and online resources provided by RLSS.

“It is important for visitors to Crosby beach to know that it is not a bathing beach, and nobody should enter the water here. We have year-round RNLI lifeguard presence at Crosby, the only beach in the country to have this, because of the dangerous conditions.”

For more information on the campaign and tips to keep yourself safe this summer, please visit the RLSS website.

Sefton Coast

Crosby beach is a not a bathing beach with areas of soft sand and mud and a risk of changing tides. Visitors should stay out of the sea and within 50 metres of the promenade at all tides. Crosby is the only RNLI beach in the UK to have 365-day lifeguard presence due to the dangers present.

To learn more about Sefton’s coast and water safety advice for individual beaches, please visit the Council webpage Visiting Our Beaches.