What Is Drowning and How Can It Be Prevented?

Updated

Drowning is a process in which a person's airway is submerged in liquid, blocking breathing and cutting off oxygen to the body. It can happen in seconds and in water as shallow as a bathtub. The good news is that most drowning incidents are preventable through supervision, knowledge of the Water Safety Code, and basic rescue awareness. This guide explains what drowning is, where the risks are highest, and the practical steps anyone can take to reduce them.

What Drowning Actually Means

Drowning is not a single moment but a sequence. When water enters the mouth or nose, the body's first response is often to hold the breath and swallow or cough. If the person cannot reach air, water reaches the airway and lungs, gas exchange fails, and oxygen levels in the blood drop. This is why drowning can progress silently and quickly, and why the priority in any rescue is restoring breathing and getting professional help immediately.

RLSS UK frames its work around a clear vision: "nations without drowning where everyone can safely enjoy being in, on or near water." That framing matters because it treats drowning as a preventable public health issue rather than an unavoidable accident.

Where the Risks Are Highest

Drowning risk is not limited to the sea or large lakes. The situations below cover the main settings RLSS UK addresses through its campaigns and resources.

Setting Why the risk is elevated What reduces it
Home bath or shallow water Young children can slip under in seconds; supervision can lapse during routines Constant adult supervision; RLSS UK's "Splash Safely at Home" guidance
Open water (rivers, lakes, canals) Cold water, hidden currents, uncertain depth, no lifeguards Knowing the Water Safety Code; checking conditions; never entering alone
Swimming pools Overconfidence, weak swimmers straying out of depth, fatigue Appropriate supervision of children; swimming within ability
Cold water Cold shock can impair breathing and movement almost instantly Acclimatising gradually; wearing suitable protection; avoiding alcohol

Two RLSS UK campaigns map directly onto these settings: "Don't Drink and Drown" addresses the link between alcohol and water incidents, and "Winter Water Safety" and "Summer Water Safety" cover seasonal risks. The existence of separate seasonal campaigns is itself a useful signal: risk changes with the time of year, so precautions should too.

Apply the Water Safety Code

RLSS UK's central teaching tool is the Water Safety Code. It is designed to keep people safe "in, on and around water" and is the most direct answer to the question of prevention. The code's practical content can be summarised as four habits:

  • Spot the dangers. Look for warning signs, cold water, fast currents, and unstable banks before you get close.
  • Take safety advice. Follow signage and local guidance rather than relying on judgement alone.
  • Go with others. Never swim or enter open water alone, so someone can raise the alarm.
  • Know how to get help. Call for emergency assistance and, if trained, use reaching or throwing aids rather than entering the water yourself.

For a fuller walkthrough of the code, the related RLSS UK resource "What Is the Water Safety Code and How Do You Use It?" covers each element in more depth.

Practical Prevention Steps

Beyond the code, a few concrete behaviours address the most common failure points:

  1. Supervise children continuously around water. This applies to baths as much as pools. RLSS UK's "Splash Safely at Home" resource exists specifically because bath-time incidents are a real category of risk.
  2. Avoid alcohol before or during water activities. The "Don't Drink and Drown" campaign targets exactly this combination.
  3. Match equipment and ability to the water. Use appropriate flotation for weak swimmers and stay within your depth and skill level.
  4. Learn what to do in an emergency. Knowing how to call for help and perform a safe reach or throw rescue is more useful than attempting a swim rescue untrained.

Where to Get Training and Support

Prevention is a skill, and RLSS UK offers structured routes to build it:

  • The Water Safety Code — the entry point for general awareness, suitable for families and community groups.
  • Water Smart Schools — a free accreditation programme for primary, secondary, and specialist schools, helping students "gain essential skills for life."
  • Rookie Lifeguard — a programme for children to expand their water activities and learn lifesaving skills in a fun format.
  • RLSS UK qualifications and awards — for those who want formal lifesaving or lifeguarding training. RLSS UK reports delivering 177,000+ lifesaving qualifications and awards in 2025, and its community includes 18,000+ registered members.

If you are unsure where to start, the Water Safety Code is the right first step for most people; schools and families with children should look at Water Smart Schools and Rookie Lifeguard respectively.