Practical and classroom training at The Wave to teach lifesaving skills
The Wave in Coventry has begun a series of water-safety sessions aimed at teaching children how to recognise danger and survive in open-water situations, organisers have said. The initiative is being delivered by Coventry Sports Foundation in partnership with the charity CV Life, and responds to a spate of recent drownings in rivers, lakes and at sea.
Organisers say the indoor waterparkcan replicate aspects of open water that many children do not experience in a conventional swimming pool, including moving water and disorientating slide drops. The sessions are designed to bridge the gap between swimming in calm, warm pools and coping with the unpredictable conditions found in rivers, lakes and the sea.
"It's a serious session, we want children to take away three key skills - float to live, treading water and how to shout for help," said Wendy Jackson, CV Life's head of community development.
The practical work will make use of specific attractions at The Wave to simulate hazards. For example, the facility's simulated wave feature and stretches of fast-moving water provide opportunities to practise swimming against a current, while deeper pools and drop slides allow instructors to teach how to manage sudden immersion and maintain buoyancy.
- Key lifesaving skills taught: float to live; treading water; how to shout for help.
- Practical settings used: simulated wave, fast-moving water sections, deep-water drops and slides.
- Complementary learning: classroom sessions covering risks and decision-making before entering water.
Jackson told BBC CWR the waterpark's features such as the Lazy River and the Cyclone are being used deliberately to mimic the forces and sensations children may encounter in open water. The Lazy River offers a current that children must learn to move against, while the Cyclone's drop into deep water is used to rehearse treading water and performing a controlled star float to conserve energy.
Organisers emphasise that the programme is not only about in-water ability but also about teaching young people to think carefully before entering any body of water. Classroom elements will support the practical sessions by highlighting situational awareness, safe behaviours and the importance of calling for help rather than attempting risky rescues.
Context: recent fatalities underline need for greater awareness
The scheme follows several tragic incidents cited by organisers as part of the impetus for the sessions. Those mentioned include:
| Incident | Details |
|---|---|
| Lillianna Tomlinson | Died after entering the River Tame near Kingsbury Water Park in May. |
| Callum Baker-Osborne | A Coventry man who died in 2021 after going to help family members caught in a rip tide while on holiday in Poole. |
| Brody Leach | Died in Shrewsbury in late June after entering the River Severn wearing jeans. |
Those involved in delivering the sessions say the recent deaths underline how quickly situations can turn dangerous, and how conditions such as currents, cold water and clothing can dramatically reduce a swimmer's ability to stay afloat.
Local health and safety advocates have welcomed the programme as a practical step that could help reduce the number of preventable drownings. By offering children realistic, supervised experience of moving water and structured guidance on how to react, the organisers hope to give youngsters a set of straightforward skills they can rely on in an emergency.
The sessions combine supervised, coach-led exercises in the waterpark with classroom-based teaching. Organisers stress the need for seriousness and focus among participants so that the lessons are retained and can be applied if an incident occurs outside the controlled environment of the leisure centre.
Coventry Sports Foundation and CV Life have not published full details of session dates and eligibility in the briefings reported so far. Parents and carers seeking more information should contact The Wave or the charities directly for booking and age-range guidance.
