Christmas swimmers being urged to follow Covid-19 guidelines and to stay safe in the water

The Coast Guard and RNLI are reminding people to be extra vigilant, as many organised events have been cancelled this year.

They would usually have pre-planned water safety arrangements, but that's not possible due to the pandemic.

Coast Guard Head of Operations, Gerard O'Flynn, says only swim in places you're familiar with, "We do, I suppose, anticipate that some people will go swimming anyway," he said. "And what we would say if you are going swimming over the Christmas and New Year period, make sure to observe the most simple and basic precautions. And these would include, always check the weather forecast and understand the local effects of wind tides and currents."