Be extra careful if you're planning a swim this weekend.
Swimmers have been advised to take extra care ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.
The weekend will say an increased number of people take to the water.
This past week has seen six people lose their lives in separate drowning incidents.
A 14-year-old boy was the latest to lose his life yesterday, after getting into difficulty at a lake in Co. Monaghan on Sunday.
Anyone can drown, no one should.
In Ireland, an average of 115 drownings occur each year. Majority of these at inland water sites (62%). 80% of all drownings happen in the victim’s home county.
Please pay attention to local warnings.#WorldDrowningPreventionDay pic.twitter.com/L9KTLvwFiP— St John Ambulance Ireland (@stjohnie) July 25, 2021
Junior Minster Hildegarde Naughton has been vocal in advising swimmers ahead of the weekend.
"We're just asking people to be extra careful," she said. "Only swim in lifeguard beaches. Respect the sea."
The same rules apply to inland waters, Naughton says. "They seem so still and calm, but they carry the same dangers as our seas."
