Konfidence who specialise in child and infant wetsuits and buoyancy aids are helping to promote the RNLI’s important beach safety messaging with large crowds expected to visit the region’s coast over the holiday weekend.
Figures reveal RNLI lifeguards in the southwest responded to 163 incidents and aided 208 people over last year’s August Bank Holiday weekend. While the region’s volunteer lifeboat crew launched 27 times, aiding 40 people and of those saved two lives.
The release of the figures coincides with a forecast for sunny, settled weather and large crowds expected to visit the coast over the coming Bank Holiday weekend, with the RNLI urging water users to heed safety advice to keep them and their families safe.
As well as helping to promote these essential safety messaging online, from their distribution centre in Launceston, Cornwall, Konfidence have sent RNLI water safety leaflets to customers who’ve bought swimming / buoyancy aid and wetsuit packages and have featured the ‘Float to Live’ advice across their social media during the peak holiday season.
Andrew Regan, the founder of Konfidence says: “We are extremely proud to be supporting RNLI, they are a national institution, and because we live and work in Cornwall, we see first-hand the incredible work they do daily to save lives at sea. Through working with them to promote their safety messages, we will be able to play our part by helping to raise awareness of the RNLI’s beach and water safety resources direct with the many thousands of our UK parent customers.
With one of the busiest summers we’ve seen with thousands of families holidaying in the UK because of the covid-19 pandemic, disseminating RNLI’s key water safety messages to as many parents as possible takes on an even greater importance.”
Those taking their families to the beach this year should heed the following safety advice;
- Visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags -– find your nearest at rnli.org.uk/lifeguardedbeaches
- Check the weather forecast, tide times and read local hazard signage to understand local risks
- If you fall into the water unexpectedly, FLOAT TO LIVE. Fight your instinct to thrash around, lean back, extend your arms and legs, and Float.
- In an emergency dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
Last summer, RNLI lifeguards saved the lives of 54 children and teenagers. Of those lives saved, 64% (35) were aged 12 or under.