Drowning Prevention Week 13-20 June 2026
RLSS UK’s Drowning Prevention Week is an annual, water safety campaign designed to educate children and young adults in water safety and lifesaving skills.
Drowning Prevention Week educates children aged 5 to 17 each June with crucial water safety advice just before the summer holidays, when young people are outdoors more and need these skills and knowledge most, so everyone can enjoy water safely. We’re calling on all carers, schools, lifesaving clubs, leisure operators and water-related businesses to participate.
Drowning Prevention Week is taking place 13-20 June 2026
This year, Drowning Prevention Week is expanding to reach 13-17-year-olds, as recent data from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) reveals that drowning deaths of this age group have increased an alarming 67% between 2020-2022 and 2023-2025.
For over a decade, RLSS UK’s Drowning Prevention Week has aimed to equip educators, teachers, parents, and carers of children with vital water safety knowledge ahead of the summer months, when drownings are most likely to occur.
Over the last five years, 3,615 people have tragically drowned in the UK and Ireland1. This year, Drowning Prevention Week is expanding to reach 13-17-year-olds, as recent data reveals that drowning deaths among this age group have increased an alarming 67% between 2020-2022 and 2023-20252.
Knowing how to swim is a great skill – but it is not enough to stay safe in the water. True competency and confidence in and around water require knowledge of the Water Safety Code, including always staying together, stopping to think about and assess the dangers before getting into the water, and understanding what to do in an emergency.
Water Safety Code
Drowning is preventable. In addition to sharing water safety messages to keep individuals safe, RLSS UK is campaigning for systemic drowning prevention by advocating for lifeguards and lifesavers, training bystanders, and developing unified water safety policies with the Government.
Ashley Jones, Head of Water Safety and Education at RLSS UK, said:
“We urge everyone to use RLSS UK’s free, accessible water safety resources to educate children and teens with critical information this June, to make sure everyone has a safe summer. Whilst a foundation of water safety will be included in England’s school curriculum from September, this vital information needs to be taught now, ahead of the summer period, and across the entire UK and Ireland to prevent tragedies. We can all contribute to creating communities free from drowning.”
Joe and Sunnah
Visit RLSS UK’s website now to access free water safety resources for children, parents, carers and educators: https://www.rlss.org.uk/dpw. Share these tools with your community and help create a safer summer for everyone.
Sources
1WAID 2020-2024; WSI 2020-2024
2The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD)
Notes to Editors
Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) | Water Safety Education
RLSS UK | Media enquiries caitlinkirkman@rlss.org.uk