Ahead of the summer holidays, former Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington OBE is warning parents that their children could be in danger in the pool due to the colour of their swimming costumes.
Adlington supports a campaign launched by On the beach which calls on the government to stop retailers from selling blue, white and grey swimming costumes for children.
According to the campaign’s research, blue, white and grey swimsuits are almost invisible in a two-metre deep pool, increasing the risk of a child going undetected if they get into trouble.
Two-thirds of children use these dangerous colours instead of safer, brighter alternatives, according to the campaign, and 90 per cent of parents are unaware of the risks.
Adlington says: “I’ve been swimming all my life and only recently realised that there are certain colours you can’t see underwater. As a parent, I feel like I should have realised this sooner.
Former Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington OBE (above) is warning parents that their children could be in danger in the pool due to the colour of their swimming costumes.
Adlington is backing a campaign launched by On the Beach calling on the government to stop retailers selling blue, white and grey swimwear for children. According to the campaign’s research, these colours are almost invisible in a two-metre deep pool.
‘In addition to On the Beach, I urge the future government to review legislation on the sale of blue, white and grey swimwear to children so that retailers are safe and help look after our children by not selling invisible swimwear that could put them in danger.’
Change.org petition campaign on the beachcalling on the government to review legislation on children’s swimwear has gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
The campaign has also received support from the Royal Life Saving Society, a charity dedicated to preventing drowning. Matt Croxall, the charity’s UK director, said: “We’re delighted that On the Beach is working hard to raise awareness of the importance of water safety.
‘We urge parents to choose brightly coloured swimwear for their children when planning their holidays, rather than colours such as blue, white and grey, which are harder to see underwater.’
Pink, yellow, red, black, purple, green and fluorescent colors are considered safe options that can be easily seen underwater.
Ann Hook, who signed the petition, says: “If first responders can’t see a child in distress, they might as well not be there.”
Another signer says improved legislation could “prevent absolute tragedies from happening to families,” while another says it’s “scary how invisible some of the colors are.”
According to colour expert Lee Chambers, blue is the most difficult colour to detect underwater due to the way people perceive “colour at depth”. “The lack of contrast, the disruption of contour and the camouflage effect can all contribute to swimwear in these colours being difficult to distinguish, not visible and unnoticeable, which poses a potential safety risk compared to colours that reflect light and have a higher contrast,” he says.
Pink, yellow, red, black, purple, green and fluorescent colors are considered safe options that can be easily seen underwater.
