Traditional life-saving advice for those who accidentally fall into water has been turned on its head by a team of scientists working with RoSPA.

Instead of immediately attempting to swim or wave for help, researchers at the University of Portsmouth are urging people to “float first”.

The counter-intuitive advice is being advocated after tests showed that staying as still as possible in the first few minutes after tumbling into water increases survival time by enabling air trapped in clothing to keep the head above water, protecting the airways and slowing the rate at which the body is cooled.

A holiday at the seaside is fun for the whole family. An RNLI lifeguard explains what to look out for to stay safe on the beach in this 3m 40s video.

Summer is here [yes, really!] and you may be lucky enough to be going on a holiday by the sea. You might be going on a day trip to have a picnic at the beach, by a lake, on a riverbank or by a canal. However you spend your holiday, we want you to be safe whenever you are around water.

GS4S is a campaign run by the Amateur Swimming Association aimed at parents and children (in particular those at Key Stage 2 level). Its aim is to make children aware of the dangers posed by open water.