A NEW set of advice codes aiming to dramatically cut the risk of tragedies on the water in Ayrshire and across Scotland this summer has been published. 

Water Safety Scotland (WSS) was formed to cut fatalities by half after learning from past tragedies.

Several lives were lost in the space of a few days during a spell of particularly warm weather in July 2021, and a Drowning and Incident Review (DIR) was created by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and the Royal Society for the Preention of Accidents (RoSPA).

Last year, 45 people lost their lives to accidental drowning across Scotland - and most were in rivers, canals and lochs.

So the code particularly highlights three steps to staying safe:

  • Stop and think, spot the dangers
  • Stay together, stay safe
  • In an emergency, call 999

There are five activity-specific codes as well.

The goal is for experienced and casual water users to make "wiser and more informed decisions" with activities such as angling, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking/canoeing, sub-aqua diving and open water swimming.

The water safety codes can be read online and have been translated into the seven most widely-spoken languages in Scotland.

A spokesperson for WSS said: “It is vitally important for water users to be well-informed before undertaking recreational activities in or on the water.

"Our activity-specific advice codes will be promoted throughout Scotland to try to ensure that the advice is seen by those who would most benefit from learning it.

"Our hope is that this will reduce the number of incidents that we see each year."