The continued closure of swimming pools could lead to more people drowning in open water, a water safety charity warns.
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has issued the warning while asking for more volunteer lifesavers.
It comes only days after local emergency services in Tayside went to the rescue of three people in difficulty in the water at Tentsmuir Beach in Fife.
A child was airlifted to hospital in Dundee following the incident last Thursday and a group of children kayaking also ended up in difficulty in the same area just a day before.
This summer has seen local lifeboat crews, coastguard rescue teams and local volunteers called to rescue others who have got into difficulty on Tayside shores.
Rescues have taken place at Lunan Bay, Montrose, Broughty Ferry, Burntisland and Dalgety Bay in the past three months alone.
Rescuers even had to go to the aid of young swimmers in the reservoir at Clatto Park in Dundee.
Fortunately, there has been no loss of life in Tayside.
Sadly, however, a total of 49 people drowned in UK waters in July alone. Six of those were in Scotland with four drowning at Loch Lomond and a further two in Lanark and Stonehouse.
A spokesman for the RLSS said: “We are concerned that a lack of volunteers could put more lives at risk of accidental drownings.
“We are calling on the public to donate a few hours of their time to their local lifesaving club.”
The spokesman added: “With the pandemic closing pools, resulting in millions of young people going without vital swimming and water safety education, we had an unspeakably tragic period in July that saw 49 people drown in just two weeks.
“We can also see the unfortunate impact of Covid-19 on the number of volunteers dedicated to water safety.”
The spokesman said they are now calling on more volunteers to come forward during a national campaign just launched.
Water safety education affected by Covid
“As we tackle the gap left in water safety education by the pandemic, our lifesaving club volunteers can make huge strides in helping everyone enjoy water safely.
“By simply learning and sharing our free water safety advice, they enhance their communities by becoming a water safety ‘champion’.”
He added: “We never know what’s around the corner and each year, people’s lives are saved by the intervention of a stranger, an everyday hero.
“At the water’s edge, in the pub, at the supermarket — lifesaving skills can be called into action at a moment’s notice, and in those first few panicked minutes before the emergency services arrive, you could be the one that turns a tragedy into a triumph.”
The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) exists to ensure everyone can enjoy water safely. It is the leading provider of lifesaving and lifeguarding training, and water safety education.
Around 650 people drown in the UK and Ireland every year and the RLSS UK aims to prevent drowning through water safety education. It is also the governing body for Lifesaving Sport.