why this matters

these numbers are context, not the sell. the mission leads with confidence and access: the ability to float calmly, to move through water without panic, to be at home in an environment most of us meet our whole lives. the figures below are why that ability matters.

193

accidental water-related fatalities in the uk in 2024. a further 206 cases with unknown cause are pending coroner outcomes.

Source: National Water Safety Forum / WAID

37%

of those who died accidentally in 2024 were walking or running at the time. they had no intention of entering the water.

Source: National Water Safety Forum / WAID

61%

of accidental fatalities in 2024 occurred at inland waterways: rivers, canals, lakes, and reservoirs.

Source: National Water Safety Forum / WAID

1 in 3 adults

around 14 million people in england cannot swim one length of a 25-metre pool. this figure is from 2019, the most recent nationally representative survey available.

Source: Swim England (2019)

sources