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RNLI warns New Year swimmers

The Journal

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December 31, 2025

PEOPLE considering taking part in festive open water swims to celebrate the start of 2026 should remain aware of the risks, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has warned.

The lifeboat search-and-rescue charity said the effects of cold water shock, combined with weather conditions, pose a risk to anyone entering water that is 15C or below, especially at a time of year when the average sea temperature around the UK and Ireland is 6C to 10C.

The warning follows the disappearance of Matthew Upham, 63, and another man during a Christmas Day swim in the Devon seaside town of Budleigh Salterton.

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