What to do if you fall into the water

Find out what to do in an emergency in the water and how to help someone in trouble.

Use the float to live technique 

The River Thames passes Kingston town centre and has a Category B waterway. This means it is a wide river where the depth of the water is 1.5 metres or more. 

If you fall into cold water your instinct may be to try and swim hard and fast. But, the more you do this it becomes more dangerous.

Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) suggests doing the following: 

1. Lie back and keep your airways clear. 
2. Push your stomach up and extend your arms and legs, moving hands and feet to help you float.
3. Try to control your breathing. 
4. Call for help and if possible try making your way towards safety. 

If you see someone fall into the water, do not follow them.

Keep watching the person in the water so you can give information to the emergency services. Tell the person to float on their back. 

Find out about making the right call from the RNLI.

Dealing with cold water shock 

We define anything below 15°C as cold water. This can affect your breathing and movement. We call this cold water shock and it can lead to drowning. 

Find out about cold water shock symptoms and how to deal with it from the RNLI. 

Respect the water campaign

#RespecttheWater is the partnership campaign run by the NWSF. It provides life-saving water advice to the public. 

If you see someone else in trouble in the water this summer, you should: 

• never enter the water to rescue someone
• call 999 and ask for the right service (Fire Service for inland waterways)
• tell the struggling person to float on their back
• throw something to them that floats such as a lifebuoy or throw bag
• don't hang up - stay on the line to provide updates and continue to help the person

Follow the water safety code

Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in the UK. To stay safe around water, follow the water safety code. 

1. Never swim alone in case you need help.
2. Don’t drink alcohol when undertaking water related activities. It impairs your judgement and your ability to swim.
3. Avoid walking routes near water if you have been drinking alcohol. 
4. Don’t dive or jump straight into open water. This can cause potentially fatal cold water shock even on the warmest day.
5. Supervise children in and around water - drowning can happen fast. 
6. When canoeing, kayaking or paddle boarding, stick to the right hand side of the river at all times unless it is unsafe to do so.
7. If you find yourself unexpectedly in the water, don’t panic, extend your arms and legs out and float on your back until the effects of cold water shock pass.