At least nine people, most of them teenagers and children, have died in separate water-related incidents across Britain during the recent heatwave and bank holiday weekend, according to a BBC report. The deaths have prompted an urgent warning from water safety experts, who are calling for urgent action to educate young people about the dangers of open water before the summer holidays begin.Deaths were recorded from lakes, dams, rivers and beaches in England and Ireland as rising temperatures drove people to open water to cool off.The victims included 15-year-old Declan Sawyer, whose body was recovered from Swanholm Lake near Lincoln on Sunday after reports he had gotten into trouble in the water. His heartbroken family later described him as a “funny and friendly young man” and urged parents to warn children about the dangers associated with rivers and lakes.

Teenagers among victims across Britain

On Bank Holiday Monday alone, several different tragedies occurred.The 13-year-old boy, identified locally as Reco Puttock, died after being ejected from the Leadbeater Dam near Halifax in West Yorkshire. In another incident, the body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire, while a teenage boy was found dead in a lake in Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire after an overnight search.Police in Lancashire also recovered the body of a child, believed to be a 12-year-old boy, who had got into trouble while swimming in the River Ribble near Chester.In Cheshire, emergency services continue to search for a missing 17-year-old boy in Pickmere Lake after reports he went missing while swimming at the popular beauty spot. Authorities later confirmed that a body had been found in the water.Heat wave-related tragedies were not limited to England. In Dublin, 15-year-old Abbie Carmody-Pepper died while bathing at Burrow Beach in Sutton.Meanwhile, in Cornwall, a man in his 60s lost his life after entering the sea to help two relatives struggling in the water near Padstow.

Water safety experts issue urgent warning

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) said warmer weather often increases the incidence of accidental drownings and warned that open water can remain dangerously cold despite high air temperatures.Experts warn that sudden exposure to cold water can cause “cold water shock”, which can cause breathing difficulties, panic and loss of mobility.Jim Bridges of the Water Safety Partnership urged people to remember the “float to live” advice if they find themselves struggling in the water.“Lie on your back with your head tilted back and ears submerged in the water. Use your arms and legs to help you stay afloat and try to control your breathing,” he said during an interview with BBC Breakfast.He said that once breathing returns to normal, people should either call for help or try to swim carefully to a safe place.

Call to immediately teach water safety lessons in schools

Following the deaths, drowning prevention organizations are demanding that schools start teaching open water safety lessons immediately rather than waiting for the new academic session in September.RLSS UK said the inclusion of water safety education in England’s Relationships, Health and Sex Education (RHSE) curriculum was a positive step, but warned that delaying the lessons until the autumn could cost lives during the upcoming summer holidays.The organization urged parents, teachers and community groups to use freely available water safety resources to educate children and teens before schools close for the six-week holidays.Declan Sawyer’s father, Carl, echoed those concerns in an emotional appeal.“We would like to raise awareness about children playing near rivers or lakes in hot weather,” he said. “Please make children aware of the dangers associated with water.”

Cold weather brings some relief

After days of record-breaking temperatures, cooler weather swept across northern and eastern parts of England on Wednesday, bringing a temporary respite from the heat.However, officials continue to urge caution around lakes, rivers and coastal areas as hotter conditions are expected to return later in the week.