THA DANGERS IN THE WATER - THE LIES AND THE STATISTICS
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UK DROWNING STATISTICS 2002.
From listening to the radio or watching TV you might get the impression that up to 450 people
drown while swimming in rivers or lakes every year. You would be very wrong. Read on to find out why.
Between 12 and 14 climbers die every year on Snowdon and
in the adjacent Ogwen valley alone. On average more than 2 people lose their lives in the TT Races on the Isle of Man.
This figure rose to 4 in 2005.
'In 2003, the number of people injured by fireworks was 1,136....
Yet, fireworks and bonfire evenings can provide fun and entertainment for families at a time
of year when the evenings are rather dark and gloomy. They literally light up the sky. As long as everyone follows the
right safety procedures'.[Firework Safety - RoSPA's website]
'It should be appreciated that skateboarding is an exciting sport and that accidents will occasionally occur.
RoSPA will normally Risk Assess all skate parks as being high risk. That does not mean that we do not approve
of them, just that we recognise that accidents are going to occur'.[RoSPA information sheet 27].
Water temperature in Ullswater in July 2005 reached 27(C) in the top 2 feet - warmer than most swimming pools
These are published annually by RoSPA. You can either look at a simplified version (2002 now
available) on their website for free or pay £16 for a CD with the full details.
The figures are remarkably constant year on year. Total drownings (less suicides & homicides) are 427.
From the RoSPA analysis the three largest categories are:
| Fell in | 80 |
| Alcohol | 73 |
| Swimming (all waters) | 34 |
Clearly lack of balance, carelessness or misjudgement together with alcohol are the main
problems. Swimming comes third.
Only a very small fraction of UK drownings are related to
swimming
The "swimming" figure includes people who drowned in the sea & swimming pools as well as
rivers & lakes. After deducting the 8 who were under the influence of alcohol and 1 for the
crew of a capsized boat who drowned while attempting to swim ashore we are left with
25 "Swimming" drownings per year. These are broken down as follows:
| Rivers (freshwater) | 4 |
| Lakes, reservoirs & canal | 3 |
| The sea | 7 |
| Estuaries & tidal rivers | 4 |
| Swimming pools | 7 |
By comparison RoSPA lists 22 boating deaths, 9 sub-aqua and 20 in vehicles. However from
listening to the radio or watching tv you might get the impression that not 25 as shown
above, but 175, or even 450 people drown while swimming in rivers or lakes every year. You
would be very wrong. The truth, as you can see, is nothing like either of these figures. The
450 figure (427 in 2002) is of course the total drowning figure. The 175 figure refers to
river drownings and again it is a total figure covering all activities.
However, in addition to the above there were 17 who drowned after "Jumping in" out of which
4 had consumed alcohol.
Neck injuries: About 30 people (mostly 25 year old males) a year break their neck in
"diving" accidents. Once again this is a coverall figure. We have to guess at river & lake
situations: say 10. Very nasty. Don't, don't dive, or if you must then go & check out the
water first of all.
Every drowning is a tragedy. Don't become a statistic yourself. 95% of the "Swimming"
drownings were male. Beware of alcohol, bravado, carelessness, & recklessness. It can so
easily lead to tragedy.
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INLAND WATER TEMPERATURES.
'Inland water in this country does not heat up' [Roger Vincent Water safety spokesman
RoSPA June 2005]
Click here for data from other regions.
or here for 2007 data
WEIL'S DISEASE.
'Weil's disease is the secret weapon of whatever dark forces are
opposed to wild swimming'
Roger Deakin Waterlog 2000:113 |
In the three year period between 1999 and 2001 there was one death from Weil's disease in England and
Wales and a total of five from all Leptospiral infections. The frequent use of the risk posed by Weil's disease to
frighten people off swimming in rivers and lakes is, by any stretch of the imagination, a wild scare story.
Weil's disease is one of a group of leptospiral bacterial infections commonly known as Leptospirosis. It is caught mainly
when open wounds come into contact with animal urine including dogs and cattle. This can be in water or dump soil. The
symptoms are often mild except when the person infected is already in poor health. However, Weil's disease, the most
serious form of the disease, can be fatal even when caught by an otherwise healthy person. Leptospirosis is a notifyable
disease which means that cases are logged by the Department of Health.
Average quarterly reported cases of leptospiral infections
England and Wales [1990-1995]
| March | 5.8 |
| June | 3.8 |
| September | 6.5 |
| December | 6.3 |
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We need go no further than to point out that Weil's disease is rare. The risk of it being fatal
is negligible and, as the table above indicates, it is not directly associated with swimming or any summertime water
sports (hardly a peak during the summer months). Indeed, those mostly at risk are farm workers.
Ironically we find Weil's disease a very useful campaigning tool - whenever an opponent mentions the danger of
contracting the disease while swimming we know that he is arguing from a position of ignorance.
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BLUE-GREEN ALGAE.
Blue-green algae (BGA) is another favourite with those looking for excuses
to ban swimming in their waters. BGA is a cyanobacteria - an organism which has properties of both bacteria and
plants. Algae bloom of one variety or another is a common phenomenon in the lakes and rivers of lowland Britain during
mid summer and early autumn. The hazards to swimmers can be summarised as follows:
- Not all visible algae is BGA. Not all BGA is toxic.
- The main danger is from high concentrations of decaying bloom which has a distinct blue-green colour.
- Bloom of cyanobacteria may be associated with unpleasant odours and the offensive appearance of the shores,
especially when scum of the organisms accumulate and decays. This creates an obviously unpleasant environment.
- Contact with toxic scum can cause skin diseases and eye irritation (much the same as that which many of
us regularly get from swimming in chlorinated indoor swimming baths...). Swallowing the scum, or spray containing it,
can cause much more severe illness including liver damage. There are no recorded human fatalities caused by it
in the course of recreational activities but it can be fatal to animals.
- Non-visible BGA dispersed in the water can also be toxic and cause skin and eye irritation. The risk here is lower
because of the relatively lower concentration of toxins but it can still cause problems in particular for those wearing
wetsuits which can trap the toxic particles against the skin and through swallowing.
- Follow the Environment Agency advice and keep well clear of visible bloom. Those with sensitive skins or of poor
health should be particularly aware of the risks.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued guidelines regarding measures which should be taken in response to a
given Cyanobacteria concentration in the water. Only Cyanobacterial scum (concentrations of well over 100,000 cells/ml)
calls for ‘possible prohibition of swimming and other water contact activities’.
Click here
to download the WHO guidelines.
BGA can be combated:
Due to their simplicity, algae cells are very basic and fairly weak. According to Tony Mckenna of Water Habitat, this
makes them vulnerable to controlled ultrasonic waves with short periodic interruptions which cause the algae cells to
collapse in on themselves. Dead BGA cells sink to the bottom where they are processed as any other organic waste. Residual
toxins released by these cells will be greatly diluted and the hazard reduced accordingly. For further information and
advice visit the Water Habitat site
or contact Tony on 01536 407532 (07883 351436M).
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MEDIA MISCONCEPTIONS & MISLEADING MYTHS
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Examples of how wild swimming is portrayed as a dangerous activity and the
main cause of drowning.
Court of Appeal, Darby v National Trust, 2000.
Rebecca Kirkwood (water safety consultant for RoSPA) gave evidence:
". . approx 450 people drown in the UK, the preponderance of these being young men swimming in open water."
While we do not have access to data before 1999 we are told by RoSPA that the figures are fairly consistent year on year.
Our examination of the years 2000, 2001 & 2002 shows that the preponderance is of those who were found to have consumed
alcohol, average 82; followed by those who fell in, averaging 70; before the figure for drowning-while-swimming which
averages 37, (an all-waters number which includes swimming pools & the sea.) We queried this with RoSPA who answered it
to the effect that they included under "Swimming" all those listed as haven fallen in and those where the activity before
drowning was listed as "Unknown". Should evidence in a court of law be based on assumptions like this?
Bath Chronicle 3.8.04 quoting Peter Cornall of RoSPA:
". . . even in the hottest weather, water in this country remains extremely cold. . "
True for some waters, but others reach 21, 24C or more. Hardly "extremely cold".
BBC TV "Country File" 2003 introduced a programme on river swimming by stating that 170 people drowned in rivers
every year. True, but misleading in this context. This is the total river drowning figure which includes people who fell
in, drunks, fishermen, motorists etc. Our analysis shows that only 4 people drowned while swimming in freshwater rivers
in 2002.
East Anglian Daily Times 29.7.04 In an article about river swimming, quoting RoSPA:
". . . 250 people . . drowning in the UK's inland waters every year."
True, but misleading in this context. River & lake drowning while swimming average at about 7.
BBC Look North news 11.8.03 In an unprecedented attack on wild swimming associating it with drug and even gun-related
crimes, the BBC reported that in 2001 40 people drowned in inland water in the North West of England. The information was
provided by RoSPA. In fact, 33 people drowned while swimming in the whole of the UK in that year and this includes 9 who
drowned in swimming pools.
RoSPA has issued the following advice to those who wish to enjoy the water on hot summer days :
'Don't risk your life. On a hot day cool down on the beach or in a swimming bath.'
(BBC Look North 11/8/03)
The last thing you want to do on a hot summer day is pile the kids into the car, spend hours
on overcrowded roads polluting the atmosphere and risking being involved in a road accident only to arrive at a
crowded beach where you can easily lose sight of the kids who can be swept away by tidal currents or waves or risk
them being stung by
jellyfish or Weever fish
You could, of course, take the kids to the local, crowded, indoor swimming pool and risk
damaging their lungs while 'cooling off' in a mixture of chlorine and organic matter. A much better idea is to go
to the nearest, traditional, river or lake bathing spot, just as it is done in places where people and water still exist
in harmony.
These examples represent only a fraction of cases where distorted and misleading drowning figures were quoted.
We have evidence to show that the media in general, the emergency services and even the Health and Safety Executive
share the belief that swimming in inland water is a major killer. We believe that RoSPA is largely responsible for
propagating this myth.
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