A safety course for those new to open water swimming is to take place in Kesh, Co Fermanagh, later this month.
The course is being hosted by Fermanagh & Omagh District Council, alongside the Policing and Community Safety Partnership.
The event is dedicated to those who are not experienced sea swimmers and will focus on areas such as acclimatisation, flotation and technique.
Incidents of people getting into difficulty in the sea were greatly increased in July with record temperatures, as the National Water Safety Forum estimated that 40 people have drowned in the UK since July 14.
The course will run across two days on August 13 to August 14 at Muckross Strand in Kesh, with Council Chair Errol Thompson encouraging people to get involved to become more educated about the risks involved with open water swimming.
Mr Thompson said: “The Fermanagh and Omagh district has a network of lakes and waterways which are attractive to open water swimmers but each location poses its own set of challenges.
“The courses are being organised at an opportune time and I would encourage those new to open water swimming and indeed those with some experience of the activity, to come along to Muckross Strand to familiarise themselves with the measures they can take to ensure that their open water swimming experience is as safe as possible.”
Swim Ulster Development Officer Ruth McQuillan said: “Swim Ulster are delighted for the opportunity to work with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and the Fermanagh Omagh Policing Community Safety Partnership to promote safe swimming in the local area.
“The Open Water Swimming Safety Course covers how to stay safe in open water, assessing conditions and much more to ensure that it’s safe to enter the water – safety first at all times.”
