16/06/2026

RLSS UK released its report, Child Drownings in England: An Overlooked Public Health Issue, alongside five key recommendations for Government action, at the APPG for Water Safety Education in Westminster on 16 June.  

Working in partnership with the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), the report includes data on all children (0-18 years-old) in England who have tragically drowned since 2020. 

The report reveals that almost every drowning could have been prevented. In 87% of cases reviewed by a Child Death Overview Panel, ‘modifiable factors’ were identified that could have prevented the child’s death. These include lack of adult supervision, unsafe environments, accessible water, and absence of safety measures.

Drownings should not be seen as random accidents but rather show clear patterns of health inequalities and risk factors, including age, gender, ethnicity, geographical region, and whether the child is known to social care, which need to be addressed: 

• Black children drown at more than three times the rate of White children.
• Boys drown at twice the rate of girls.
• Children in the most deprived communities drown at twice the rate of the least deprived.
• 71% of children who drown were known to social care at some point in their lives.

Pete Kennedy, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at RLSS UK, said:
“This report is a wake-up call to the Government. Drowning isn’t just preventable, but it disproportionately harms disadvantaged and marginalised communities. The equivalent of a classroom-full of children drowns in England each year, and we’ve provided the blueprint to avoid many of these tragedies. The World Health Organization recognises drowning as a preventable public health issue that needs government action: it’s time for the UK Government to catch up, protect vulnerable communities and save lives. 

“The report also warns that the Government’s aim to increase the number of people swimming in lakes and rivers must be accompanied with policies to prevent drowning, or else more people will drown. This warning is particularly urgent, just weeks after the half-term heatwave where 19 people drowned, almost all in lakes and rivers. The Government must heed this warning and act now. 

“The risks are clear, but this is also an opportunity. The Royal Life Saving Society UK is on hand to support the Government to develop effective, evidence-based policies that will empower everyone to enjoy water safely, free from drowning.”

Darren Paffey, MP for Southampton Itchen and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Water Safety Education, said:
“It’s clear from this report that child drownings are a public health emergency and should be treated as such. None of us in Parliament can or should accept the equivalent of a classroom full of children drowning every year when the evidence tells us that the vast majority of these deaths are highly preventable.

“In the last year, we’ve seen some long-overdue steps, such as water safety finally being made a compulsory part of the national curriculum. But it’s clear that this government still has urgent work to do, and I would encourage my colleagues to take note of the sensible and proportionate recommendations in the report and help avoid yet another tragic summer of drownings."

RLSS UK’s recommendations to the Government include:

1.  The Government should change the Terms of Reference of the Public Health Water Taskforce to include drowning prevention - the main way water kills people.
   
   
2. The Public Health Water Taskforce should apply a public health approach to reducing drowning risk, including tackling the clear health inequalities, environmental determinants, and evidence gaps. 
   
   
3. The Public Health Water Taskforce should consider the drivers of elevated drowning risk among high-risk groups, including Black children, male children, children known to social care, and those living in the most deprived communities.
   
   
4. The Government should accompany its ambition to increase public recreational use of open water with proportionate interventions to mitigate drowning risk, recognising that drowning is a preventable public health issue and not an inevitable consequence of participating in water-based activity.
   
   
5. The Government should appoint a Minister with responsibility for water safety and drowning prevention to lead a joined-up approach across relevant government departments.

Tuesday’s APPG meeting will also see the launch of the National Water Safety and Swimming Competency Framework, and the National Water Safety Education Pathway from Water Safety England in collaboration with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), and RLSS UK.

Starting in September 2026, the framework will provide a strategic overview for pupil aged three to 18, and the pathway will offer practical ways to incorporate water safety education into classroom learning. These resources will help to build lifesaving skills and water safety knowledge with practical activities and key benchmarks.

The APPG will open with a keynote speech from RLSS UK Ambassador and triple Olympic swimming champion Tom Dean MBE, who will urge the Government to act. 

RLSS UK will continue to call for action by engaging with policymakers, equipping educators with expert resources, and educating the public - all to move closer to its vision of communities free from drowning.

RLSS UK recognises and sincerely thanks all the families, organisations, charities, campaigners, educators, and safety professionals dedicated to preventing drowning. Special thanks to Chair Darren Paffey MP, Co-chair Lord Storey, Lee Pitcher MP, and all MPs and Peers who attended. RLSS UK also appreciated the support of stakeholders in attendance from the NCMD, National Fire Chiefs Council, Thames Academy, RNLI, Oasis Academy Trust, Durham County Council, Canal and River Trust, Yorkshire Water, Swim England, GLL, Places Leisure, SEA, Port of London Authority, RoSPA, PSHE Association, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and Future Lidos.

Read the full report

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