FAMILIES are being urged to improve their water safety knowledge after new statistics showed drowning fatalities in York and North Yorkshire doubled last year.

Seventeen people drowned in the area, up by 113 per cent from the eight deaths which happened in 2018, said the Royal Life Saving Society UK, which fears more drowning accidents this summer as the country comes out of lockdown.

Last year’s surge in deaths appears to be partly down to a tragic three week spell in York in April, during which five people drowned in the Ouse and the Foss.

Amongst those to lose their lives were Sonny Ferry, 19, from Rutland, who died in the Foss near Blue Bridge during a night out in the city centre.

His parents launched the Sunshine Campaign after his death to raise £45,000 to buy a new craft for York Rescue Boat, fitted with state-of-the-art technology, in a bid to prevent more tragedies. The appeal has so far raised almost £29,000.

Other drowning victims in April included Steven O’Neill, 29, from The Wirral, who died in the Ouse near Skeldergate Bridge during a city centre night out and Dorothy Hagyard, 83, who entered the water at Clifton Bridge.

Later in the year, the body of Joe Rainham, 33, of Holgate Road, was found in the Ouse near Lendal Bridge.

The society said the area was ranked as the eighth highest in the UK for drowning deaths, with 117 fatalities in the last five years.

Now, on the eve of its Drowning Prevention Week campaign, the society is appealing for people to learn basic water safety and rescue skills, saying this could ultimately save lives.

A spokeswoman said it feared a significant rise in drowning accidents and fatalities this summer when lockdown restrictions were lifted further.

She said 623 people died from drowning in the UK in 2019, and with lifeguard patrols currently postponed and emergency services already stretched to the limit, people were more at risk now than ever before.

CEO Robert Gofton said: “We are extremely concerned that this summer will see people rushing to jump into the water without proceeding with caution and understanding the potential life-threatening implications.

“Although amazing work has been done to reduce the number of accidental drownings across the UK and Ireland, this year has been unprecedented in so many ways. We have witnessed a recent increase in public euphoria and risk-taking behaviour.

“North Yorkshire has a particularly high rate of drowning incidences and we urge as many people as possible to access our resources to learn how to stay safe. RLSS UK believes that the majority of drowning incidents can be prevented.”

l To access resources from the society, visit www.rlss.org.uk/dpw.