Sunderland families are being urged to find out more about how to stay safe in and around the water this summer following a number of tragic drowning deaths across the country.

Sunderland City Council is supporting the Royal Life Saving Society UK’s (RLSS) Drowning Prevention Week, which runs from Saturday, June 13, until Saturday, June 20.

The annual campaign helps raise awareness of water safety and reduce the risk of accidental drowning.

On average, 328 people in the UK and Ireland sadly lose their lives to accidental drowning every year.

Sunderland families are being urged to find out more about how to stay safe in and around the water this summer.

placeholder image — Sunderland families are being urged to find out more about how to stay safe in and around the water this summer.

Councillor Ciera Hudspith, Sunderland City Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and heritage, said: "We're proud to be supporting Drowning Prevention Week.

"We want all our residents and visitors to be able to enjoy our beautiful beaches and coastline as safely as possible. So, we'd encourage everyone to take the time to look at the really helpful advice on offer from water safety organisations like the RLSS and the RNLI to help keep themselves and their loved ones safe in, on and around the water this summer.

"This includes following the advice to always choose a beach which has lifeguards on, and if you’re planning on swimming, to swim between the red and yellow flags, as this is the safest option."

The RNLI's lifeguard service operates on Sunderland's Roker, Seaburn and Cat and Dog beaches every day from 10am until 6pm, until Sunday, September 6.

Ashley Jones, head of water safety and education at RLSS, said: "We urge parents, carers, teachers and community providers to use RLSS' free accessible water safety resources to educate children and teens with critical information this June and ensure 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 across the UK to prevent tragedies over the summer period.

"We can all contribute to creating communities free from drowning."

The RLSS UK hopes that by raising awareness, the campaign will see a reduction in the number of people losing their lives to accidental drowning every year.

For more information, see https://www.rlss.org.uk/Pages/Category/water-safety-information.