YORKSHIRE Water is urging people visiting its reservoirs, over what is expected to be a sunny weekend, to resist the temptation of entering the water.

Figures from the National Fire Chiefs Council show 50 per cent of the 254 accidental drownings in 2020 involved people who were not intending to enter the water, with 71 per cent of those deaths at inland watercourses, such as reservoirs. Almost 80 per cent of the deaths were males.

To promote safety around open water, Yorkshire Water runs an education programme for schools in the region. The sessions teach children the ‘Float to Live’ technique, explains how they can keep themselves, family and friends safe around water and what to do in an emergency.

The utility company has teamed up with the West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to offer a series of virtual Water Safety live presentations aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 students on May 26.

Teachers can book the water safety sessions via the Yorkshire Water website.

Ash Roberts, public safety and safeguarding manager, said: “As the weather improves, we see more people getting into the water who had never intended to do so when they arrived.”