Enter at your own risk!!!!

Newport Pagnell beach is a large sand bank next to the river so there are no lifeguards to help you.

its all in your hands!>

before entering the river you need to know your ability and confidence in the water:

can you swim?
could you help someone in need of help?
do you know how to have fun around water safely?

Remember as there are no lifeguards you all need to look out for each other in and out of the water

The Water Safety Code: How Not to Die in 5 Easy Steps

Spot the dangers!

Sure, the water might look all calm and inviting, like something from a postcard, but don’t let it fool you. This river is a silent killer. Just because you can do laps in a heated pool doesn’t mean you can float like a graceful swan here. You’ll probably end up gasping for air after one stroke.

Potential water dangers include:

It’s cold—Like, “why-did-I-think-this-was-a-good-idea?” cold.
Hidden currents—Because nothing says “fun day out” like being dragged away from the shore by an invisible force.
Steep, slimy banks—Because climbing out should feel like an Olympic sport, right?
It’s deep—Deep enough for you to feel real bad about your life choices.
Hidden rubbish—Who doesn’t love the thrill of possibly swimming past shopping trolleys or broken glass?
No lifeguards—Which means, you’re on your own if things go wrong. Go on, impress yourself with your survival skills!
It’s hard to judge depth—Kind of like when you try to figure out if that last slice of pizza is a “reasonable” choice.
It might be polluted—Because who needs to worry about germs when you’re busy trying to look cool by the river?

Go together!

Remember, kids should always be with an adult. Kids + water = not a good time if they’re left unsupervised. Having an adult around means they can point out all the ways you might die or at least help when things go terribly wrong.

Learn how to help!

If you happen to see someone in trouble, keep it together. Don’t panic, call emergency services, and *whatever you do*, don’t jump in like you’re the next superhero. Newsflash: you’re not Aquaman. Trying to save someone when you can’t even save yourself is just a great way to make everything worse. Stay smart, stay calm, and, for the love of all things sensible, *don’t make it your problem*.

If nothing else, just wave down the nearest dog walker, and hope they don’t notice you casually walking away while they toss their Chihuahua into the water to rescue the drowning person. It’s all about staying out of trouble... and finding someone else to deal with it.

(Disclaimer: Do everything you can to help someone in danger—don’t just walk away. But don’t take unnecessary risks either, or you might end up in trouble... and possibly court. Be smart, stay safe, and don’t make it worse!)