How to stay safe swimming outdoors - and still have fun

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. How to stay safe swimming outdoors - and still have fun1 hour ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleGrace DeanGetty ImagesWhen temperatures rise, outdoor swimming can be a fun and often free day out - but it is not without risk. During last month's hot weather, at least 18 people died after getting into difficulty in the water, many of them teenagers. Across the UK, 202 people died in accidental water-related incidents in 2025, according to the National Water Safety Forum.

Water safety experts gave News some simple tips for how to stay safe when swimming in open water. Choose a spot with a lifeguardGetty ImagesThe advice from the experts News spoke to was resounding: the best place to swim is somewhere supervised. You can find a list of UK beaches with lifeguards on the RNLI website.

The Details

Steve Hall has been volunteering with lifeboat rescue charity Hornsea Rescue in East Yorkshire for nine years. He has attended countless call-outs for people in difficulty in the sea - and says many risks are avoidable with a few simple precautions. For example, Halls says he and his daughters - who are aged nine and 11 and strong swimmers - prefer to stick to lifeguarded beaches or designated wild swimming areas rather than swimming in rivers and reservoirs.

Swim England keeps a list of open water swimming locations. Many inland bodies of water can also have hidden dangers. "It's really difficult to know what's going on beneath the surface," says Becky Hickman, CEO of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

There could be fast-flowing currents, sharp rocks, debris, sudden drop-offs, or even heavy machinery in reservoirs or canals. Watch videos of rip currentsGetty ImagesEven if the weather is good, you need to look out for rip currents if you're swimming in the sea, Hall says. A rip current can quickly pull you away from shore, he says, "and it doesn't need to pull you very far, it just needs to pull you out of your depth".

What Experts Say

He's rescued families who were only 30 yards from the beach but unable to get back after being caught in one. The RNLI says rip currents can be difficult to spot, but are sometimes identified by churning, choppy water on the sea's surface. Hall recommends families watch videos of rip currents so they can learn to identify them.

To get out of a rip current, the RNLI advises people to swim parallel to the shore until they are free of the current, rather than swimming directly against it. It's harder to swim in the sea than a poolPeople should think carefully about their own swimming ability before getting into the water, says Sarah Pennicard, who works for the RNLI's water safety team. Swimming in the sea, lakes and rivers is "very different to a swimming pool" because the water is cold, fast-flowing and unpredictable, she says.

Even if you are a strong swimmer, make sure you are in good physical condition, too, says Dave Oakley-Jenner, who carries out water rescues with North Cumbria Search and Rescue.

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