Mum of drowning victim "concerned" over dramatic rise in accidental drownings

  • Wales

  • Report by Rob Shelley

The mother of a teenager who died after drowning in a river in 2006 says she is concerned about the thought of more people losing their lives to drowning in Wales this summer.

Debbie Turnbull's 15-year-old son Chris died during a trip to Capel Curig with his friends.

In 2020 there was a 'dramatic rise' in the number of accidental drownings.

Latest figures from Water Incident Database show that 25 people lost their lives in Welsh waters, up from 5 the previous year.

It is the first time in five years the number of accidental drownings in Wales has increased.

Now, Water Safety Wales is urging people across the country to 'Respect the Water' and reduce drownings this summer as it's expected to be another extremely busy period of staycations.

These accidental drownings form part of the total water-related fatalities in Wales which stands at 50 for 2020, one fewer than the 2019 total of 51.

Chris Cousens, Chair of Water Safety Wales, said: 

“Last summer presented considerable challenges at our coastal and inland waterways. This has meant that members of Water Safety Wales have decided to come together around the #RespectTheWater campaign to help prevent further deaths.

"We urge the public to understand the dangers, to learn the importance of knowing how to float to live, and to call 999 if others are in trouble and if there is a water related emergency.”

 In December, Water Safety Wales launched Wales’ first ever drowning prevention strategy, which aims to have no water related deaths in Wales by 2026.

 Chris Cousens said: “Water Safety Wales believes one death is too many and the impact of losing someone to a death in the water cannot be underestimated.

"We will reduce drowning if everyone plays their part and Wales’ Drowning Prevention Strategy 2020-2026 aims to enable people living and visiting Wales to be safer in, on and around water by reducing water related deaths and incidents.”

If you find yourself or someone else in difficulty in the water follow these rules:

  • If you find yourself unexpectedly in the water, Float to live 

  • If you see someone else in trouble in the water, call 999 or 112

 Other accidental drowning death insights in Wales:

  • Males make up 80% of all accidental drowning deaths

  • Almost half (44%) of accidental drownings involved people with no intention to enter the water, such as those walking or running by water

  • Inland open waters like rivers and lakes were the leading locations with 56% of accidental deaths

  • Almost a third (32%) of the accidental drownings happened in August and more than half (52%) happened on weekends

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