Thread by @RNLI

On the very first World Drowning Prevention Day, we pledge that we will never stand by. This is our watch and, with you by our side, we’ll save every one we can

#DrowningPrevention

We will not stand by while people are in danger. Every member of the RNLI’s big crew is a person willing to do all they can to prevent someone losing their life to the water. From the rescuers, educators and supporters of today...

– to our founder, who was spurred on by cries of shipwrecked mariners:

“The preservation of human life from shipwreck, which should always be considered as the first, great and permanent object of the Institution"

"The people and vessels of every nation - whether in peace or in war - to be equally objects of this Institution”

We’ve come a long way and we’re going further than ever to save lives. But drowning has taken 2.5M lives around the world in the last decade. Many of these tragedies involved children. Most were preventable.

That’s why we’ve worked with other organisations and countries to highlight the problem. And now the @UN has adopted drowning as an important international issue – for the first time in its 75-year history.

So, on the very first World #DrowningPrevention Day, we pledge that we will never stand by. This is our watch and, with you by our side, we’ll go even further to save every one we can.

Thank you so much for the retweet @stephenfry 🧡💙