Wigan children urged to stay safe near water after teen's death

Greater Manchester Police is supporting Child Accident Prevention Trust’s Child Safety Week to shine a spotlight on some of the dangers children may face.

One focus is the danger of water, as sunny weather can lead to more people walking near open water or putting up a paddling pool.

It comes less than a week after Erin Madden,15, lost her life after getting into difficulty while swimming at Carr Mill Dam.

The police say young children should always be accompanied by an adult and kept away from the sides of waterways, to prevent them slipping in.

However, older children, usually young teenagers, are often the ones most at risk when it comes to open water, as they can be tempted to jump in to cool down.

But that can have huge complications, with cold water shock killing within 60 seconds.

Other things to think about before going in an open body of water include:

• Lack of safety equipment means it will be more difficult to rescue someone in trouble
• The depth of the water – sometimes it may appear shallow but then may drop to a deeper depth
• Underwater objects and hazards may not be visible to the naked eye
• Strong currents make it more difficult to be in control of the swim
• Water quality – algal blooms are toxic and can make someone extremely ill. There may also be industrial or agricultural pollution in the water

If someone gets into difficulty in an open body of water, call 999.

Smaller children can face danger in their own back garden if parents prepare a paddling pool for them in the warm weather.

People are urged to make sure the water is a suitable temperature, they do not leave children alone and to always empty the paddling pool afterwards.

Other risks can include a garden pond, which the campaign suggests filling in, turning into a sandpit, fencing off or covering.

Parents are also encouraged to make sure children cannot get into neighbours’ gardens, particularly if they have open water, and any hot tubs should be safely and securely covered when not in use.