RNLI launches powerful water safety film as hot weather continues

The RNLI has released a new short film highlighting the lifesaving importance of its "Float to Live" message, as Ireland prepares for a spell of hot weather and increased numbers of people heading to the coast and waterways.

The film, titled Float, follows a 15-year-old boy enjoying a summer's day with friends, including playing football with his local GAA club before getting into difficulty during an evening swim. Remembering the RNLI's advice to Float to Live, he manages to stay calm, regain control of his breathing and survive.

The campaign comes just days after RNLI volunteers shared water safety advice with more than 83,000 supporters at Croke Park as part of the charity's partnership with the GAA Healthy Clubs Programme.

RNLI Head of Global Drowning Prevention, Kate Eardley, says the charity hopes the film will encourage more young people to remember the Float to Live message, noting that more than a thousand people have drowned in Ireland over the past decade.

The RNLI advises anyone who unexpectedly finds themselves in the water to tilt their head back, keep their ears submerged, relax, control their breathing and float until they are able to call for help or swim to safety.

The charity is encouraging people to watch and share the film throughout the summer to help spread its potentially lifesaving message.