The article highlights the "float to live" technique as vital safety advice after the death toll from drowning incidents in British waters this summer rose to 43, following a fresh tragedy off Shoreham beach. The advice urges anyone caught in trouble in open water to tilt their head back, relax and float rather than panic or fight the current, giving themselves time to control their breathing and call for help. With a spate of fatalities during the warm summer months, coastguard and lifeboat services are renewing calls for swimmers and beachgoers to understand basic self-rescue techniques.

The Shoreham incident, which prompted the renewed safety push, saw a family drown off the Sussex beach, later identified as a Palestinian refugee, his wife and their daughter; footage showed a lifeboat battling heavy seas during the search for the victims. The 43 deaths recorded in British waters this summer underline the risks posed by strong currents, cold water and unfamiliar conditions, with safety bodies stressing that floating on your back—rather than swimming against the water—significantly increases survival chances until rescuers arrive.