FIREFIGHTERS at Bude were involved in the rescue of a man and his dog from cold water — luckily it was just part of a demonstration for drowning prevention and water safety week.

Cornwall Fire, Rescue and Community Safety (CFRCS) Service has joined a call by UK fire chiefs to raise awareness of the dangers of everyday activities near water after statistics show that nearly 50% of people who accidently drown in the UK never intended to enter the water.

The demonstration at Bude Canal on Monday showed the effects of sudden immersion in cold water.

Firefighter Andy Reynolds from CFRCS Service, who was rescued from the water along with his dog Alfie, said: “Most people would wear a thick wetsuit if they had to take a swim in freezing cold water, but sadly it is clear from these statistics that people who had no intention of entering the water are drowning whilst wearing every day, or sports clothing.

“Water temperatures are still cold at this time of the year and we urge people not to enter the water. If you see someone in trouble, call 999 and look around for lifesaving equipment to throw or anything that might help a casualty stay afloat.”

After the rescue, he said: “The water in the canal was just below 10°C, so fairly typical of inland UK water temperatures. But the moment I entered the water my breathing sped up and became difficult to control, my heart rate shot up from 45 to over 130 beats per minute and even though I was rescued quickly I was cold and shivering for a long time afterwards.

“It just goes to shows how even relatively benign looking sections of water can still be dangerous, I would have had very real difficulty staying afloat had I been wearing everyday clothing.”

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Water Safety and Drowning Prevention campaign — Be Water Aware runs until April 30.

Latest statistics show that in 2015, 321 people died after tripping, falling or simply underestimating the risks associated with being near water. Of the 50 who lost their lives in the South West 20% did so in Cornwall, the fourth highest of any county in England.

CFOA’s water safety lead, Dawn Whittaker, said: “Most people would be shocked to hear that those people drowning just happened to be near water such as runners, walkers and people fishing. They are unaware of the risks and are totally unprepared for the scenario of ending up in the water. By highlighting this issue and making sure simple safety messages reach them, we hope to reduce the number of these needless deaths.”

Fire and rescue services will be giving advice to people on water safety, what they should look out for and how to change their behaviour to minimise their risk of becoming one of these statistics.

Messages will be posted on social media using the hashtag #BeWaterAware and people are encouraged to share the posts to spread the message.

Working as part of the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF), the NFCC aims to reduce the number of drownings in UK waters by 50% by 2026. This is outlined in the UK’s first ‘Drowning Prevention Strategy’, which was launched on February 29, 2016.

The water safety messages that fire and rescue services will be delivering will also raise awareness and support of the safety campaigns run by other members of the NWSF, which includes Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Amateur Swimming Association (ASA).