Scottish Water urges people to stay safe and behave responsibly around watercourses this summer

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scottish Water is urging people in Lanarkshire to stay safe, behave responsibly and not take risks around watercourses such as reservoirs, rivers, lochs and beaches this summer.The latest figures from the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) show that, in 2023, there were a total of 47 accidental drownings in Scotland and 236 across the UK.They also reveal that, in the past five years, there have been a total of 226 accidental drownings in Scotland and that the nation had a drowning rate of 8.63 per million people last year - more than double the UK average of 3.49 per million.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android The call from Scottish Water for Lanarkshire residents to stay safe follows some anti-social and dangerous behaviour by groups of young people in recent years at some of its reservoirs which included vandalism, littering and diving from water towers which are working parts of the reservoirs.Peter Farrer, Scottish Water’s chief operating officer, said: “While people should enjoy any good weather we have this summer and take pleasure around the country’s beautiful lochs, reservoirs, rivers and beaches, it’s absolutely vital they stay safe at all times and behave responsibly.“As a number of tragic deaths in Scotland in recent years have shown, safety is a serious issue in all bodies of water."At