5 Steps to Staying Afloat | Drowning Prevention Day 2025

The purpose of Drowning Prevention Day is to raise awareness and inform others on the life-saving steps you can take to prevent drowning.

Taking place on the 25th of July, Drowning Prevention Day aligns with the start of the summer holidays, a time when thousands flock to the coasts and swim in the sea.

Lifeguard enforcing drowning prevention on a busy beach — *Credit: RNLI*

A tragic average of 300,000 people, globally, drown annually, a statistic that is far too high. In an attempt to reduce the excessive number of drowning casualties, this national day teaches individuals how to survive and save their peers.

The 2025 Drowning Prevention Day Focus

At the Maritime Skills Academy, we are focusing on RNLI’s excellent “Float To Live” campaign and reinforcing the steps individuals can take if they do find themselves starting to drown.

Whether you are swimming in a pool or in the sea during the summer, there should always be a trained safety professional nearby. Lifeguards, Coastguards, and the RNLI are always on call to deal with drowning emergencies. However, depending on the tide, how far from shore you are and how busy the area is, rescue can take time. It is important to be prepared to remain calm and wait.

Here we will cover the key steps to staying afloat and what you should do if you panic and begin to drown.

What to do if you start drowning

Relax: As difficult as this may seem at the time, relaxing your body will increase buoyancy and conserve your energy. Especially in colder waters, it’s incredibly crucial that you conserve your energy by moving as little as possible.
Keep your face above the water with your ears submerged: When you begin drowning, the main focus is keeping your nose and mouth above water, keeping your airways clear.
Keep your arms beneath the surface and move them in small circular motions: Having your arms break the water’s surface will increase your chances of becoming submerged. Performing small circular motions with your arms will act as a form of treading water and will shift the focus from panic to.
If you can, raise your arm and signal for help: During the summer, the coastguard and lifeguards will be on the lookout for incidents, but also the busy beaches means that you’re more likely to be spotted. So, if you are unable to lift your arm or signal for help, it may only take a little longer for the situation to be noticed.
Try to swim to safety: Even the strongest of swimmers can find themselves in trouble in the water, but it’s vital that you point your head towards safety and continue with circular arm motions beneath the water, helping you to drift in the right direction.

Our Mission at the MSA

Our purpose at the MSA is Setting New Standards Together. Our training is specifically designed to improve the safety of seafarers both during their roles onboard and in the event of emergencies ashore.

people on a rescue drill at an indoor pool

As part of the STCW Basic Safety Training course, our expert instructors teach Personal Survival Techniques (PST). This course trains delegates to be prepared for an abandon ship scenario. Using our full weather simulation survival pool, we can train crew to survive in the water, upright life rafts, rescue casualties, and make their way to safety.

If you are interested in participating in a Personal Survival Techniques course, contact us today to find out more.

Understanding the Dangers of Enclosed Space Entry on Ships: Why Training and Awareness Matter

Enclosed space entry remains a significant contributor to seafarer fatalities and poses a hidden danger on board many vessels.

Without proper training and precautions, crew members face serious threats, including asphyxiation, toxic exposure, and entrapment in confined spaces such as ballast tanks, cargo hold and other compartments with inadequate ventilation.

The Statistics Behind the Risk

According to the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), “nearly 60% of fatalities in enclosed space incidents involve would-be rescuers.” These are often colleagues who rush in without protective equipment or proper procedures, attempting to save an incapacitated crewmate, putting themselves also at risk.

Delegate climbing ladder in enclosed space

According to the IMO, enclosed space incidents account for approximately 15% of all shipboard fatalities. Over the past decade, the industry has recorded more than 100 fatalities linked to these extreme environments.

A 2020 report by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) identified insufficient training, complacency, and a lack of safety protocols as key factors in most incidents. There are regulatory frameworks in place to prevent these fatalities, which outline safety measures for entering enclosed spaces. However, the risk remains high due to lapses in training, education, and onboard culture.

Reinforcing the Message at the Maritime Skills Academy

At the Maritime Skills Academy (MSA), Operations Director, Mark Jaenicke, attended the UK Chamber of Shipping’s Safety Culture Conference, held in Newcastle earlier this year, where it was highlighted that enclosed space entry is a critical safety issue.

The conference emphasised the urgent need to embed a culture of safety at all levels of maritime operations. Key discussions from industry speakers focused on the role of leadership in shaping attitudes towards risk, the value of reflective learning from incidents, and the need for stronger accountability systems on board.

The conference emphasised that safety culture encompasses not only policies and training, but also mindset, communication, and empowerment. Enclosed space entry has been cited as a prime example of where gaps in culture can lead to fatal consequences, making it essential that safety initiatives address both technical training and behavioural change.

Why Enclosed Spaces Are So Dangerous

The atmosphere inside an enclosed space can quickly become hazardous and even deadly. Possible threats may arise from reduced oxygen levels, the presence of flammable or toxic gases, and the potential for sudden shifts in pressure or contents.

Delegate entering trap door into enclosed space

Gases, such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide, are odourless and lethal even in small concentrations. Without proper testing and monitoring, crew members may unknowingly enter an environment that is immediately harmful.

Industry Recommendations and Best Practices

To mitigate these risks, the maritime industry emphasises:

Robust Training – Crew members must receive MNTB or flag-state-recognised training in enclosed space entry and rescue. Training should include hazard recognition, use of gas detection instruments, proper PPE, and emergency procedures.
Strict Permit-to-Work Systems – No one should enter an enclosed space without a properly completed entry permit, confirming that the atmosphere has been tested and deemed safe.
Use of Monitoring Equipment – Continuous gas monitoring and ventilation systems must be in place before and during entry.
Drills and Emergency Planning – Regular emergency response drills should be conducted, including scenarios involving enclosed spaces.
Safety Culture and Leadership – Companies must foster a culture where safety is prioritised over speed or convenience, and crew members are empowered to stop unsafe operations.

Enclosed space entry remains a persistent and deadly risk onboard ships. Although the industry has made progress in implementing safe practices, real change comes from up-to-date training, leadership commitment, and crew vigilance.

Mark Jaenicke and Matt Horton attending the UK Chamber of shipping Safety Culture Conference

Both the UK Chamber of Shipping Safety Culture Conference and the Joint Industry Workshop reinforced the same message:

“Investment in safety education and embracing an educational culture onboard will improve enclosed space safety and reduce fatalities.”

How the MSA is Helping Reduce Enclosed Space Entry Fatalities

Through continual learning and training, our centre in Dover is equipped with a custom-built enclosed space hatch, allowing delegates to practice safe entry and exit into enclosed spaces.

With available dates for 2025, and 2026 dates soon to be released, you can view the full course details here.

References and Further Reading:

Woolwich Ferry Visits the Maritime Skills Academy’s Training Centres

At the end of 2024, the Maritime Skills Academy (part of Viking Maritime Group) hosted London River Services’ Woolwich Ferry Team to our Dover and Portsmouth facilities. It was a pleasure to host General Manager, Darren Ellis and his team as they participated in some training.

Read Darren’s full testimonial below to see what he had to say.

“The Woolwich Ferry Marine Operations Team are responsible for the Woolwich Ferry service delivery, maintenance of assets and infrastructure and asset renewal. The Woolwich Ferry service sits within Transport for London’s (TfL) Rail & Sponsored Services Directorate (R&SS).

The Woolwich Ferry (WF) Marine Operations Team has restructured the ferry service over the past two to three years, which included voluntary compliance with international marine standards, such as The ISM Code, for what is an Inland Waterways Category C ferry service on the Upper Thames River at Woolwich. Part of this voluntary compliance with international marine standards included all of our operational people completing STCW training at the Maritime Skills Academy training centre at Dover.

The WF team found the training facilities at Dover to be state-of-the-art. The training, led by experienced and engaging instructors, provided a positive training experience for all our people. Thereafter, this training has successfully been incorporated into their operational roles at the Woolwich Ferry Service.

The two Woolwich Ferries are modern diesel-electric hybrid double-ended vessels which carry lorries, vans, cars, cyclists and foot passengers. The vessels are equipped with four hydromaster azimuth thrusters for maximum manoeuvrability in a confined and intensive route of operation.

The WF Marine team worked closely with the MSA Portsmouth vessel simulator team to profile the WF vessel operating and manoeuvring characteristics, and for the first time to digitally map the Upper Thames operating area within the Woolwich Reach.

A regular monthly programme of emergency contingency training was completed throughout 2024 with all bridge teams training and exercising using the world-class simulator facilities provided at MSA Portsmouth. The simulator exercises also incorporated some of the more testing vessel manoeuvres specific to the WF service operational envelope.

The simulator training has been a great success and has been enthusiastically received by our bridge teams. It has prepared them for a full range of potential adverse future operational events, ensuring they can react as required if and/or when such events materialise, keeping our people, assets, infrastructure and the environment safe.

Working with the Maritime Skills Academy has been a truly collaborative partnership which has significantly enhanced our operational standards and the service we continually deliver to our customers.”

Darren Ellis Woolwich Ferry General Manager