Save rubber ducks in Battle water safety event

Firefighters will be teaching children about water safety with a fun game of catching '˜distressed' rubber ducks in a paddling pool on Saturday (June 18).
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service watch manager at Battle station Justin GoodchildEast Sussex Fire and Rescue Service watch manager at Battle station Justin Goodchild
East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service watch manager at Battle station Justin Goodchild

With the beaches expected to become busier, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service will be giving advice on how to stay safe at Abbey Green in Battle.

The aim of the family event between 10.30am and 2pm is to teach young ones and their parents about the dangers surrounding water, with tips on how to help in worst case scenarios, including CPR.

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Watch manager Justin Goodchild said: “Heading to the beach during the summer months is always a fun activity to do with the kids but unfortunately there are dangers to look out for and we hope to educate families about the importance of water safety.

“It is vital to remember that it is not only beaches that hold dangers around water – a simple paddling pool in the garden can even result in a young child drowning, if not adequately supervised.

“Crews would like families to stop for a casual chat with our friendly crews while the kiddies rescue the ducks.

“We hope that it will be a successful day where families learn about water safety.”

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This event coincides with the Royal Life Saving Society’s Drowning Prevention Week which starts on Saturday.

The charity claims around 400 people needlessly drown in the UK every year and thousands more suffer injury, some life changing, through near-drowning experiences.

Putting this into context, one person dies every day in the UK. Drowning is also the third highest cause of accidental death of children in the UK.

The fire service’s new deputy chief fire officer Dawn Whittaker is also the Chief Fire Officers Association’s lead officer for drowning prevention and water safety, and is part of the National Water Safety Partnership, contributing significantly to the development of the UK’s national drowning prevention strategy launched in Westminster in February.

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She is passionate about teaching children as soon as possible.

“This event epitomizes the importance of getting young people involved from a very early age,” she said.

“We want to educate both children and adults on how to enjoy water safely and equally demonstrate how powerful this natural element can be, which on many occasions sadly has dire, or even fatal, consequences.”

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