The death of five Polish nationals in swimming accidents last weekend has prompted the Dutch sea rescue service and Polish embassy in the Netherlands to launch a special safety campaign.

The sea rescue service says it has noticed an increase in accidents involving Polish nationals in recent years and that last weekend’s deaths represent ‘a tragic low point’.

The deaths usually occur because people can’t swim well, are swimming in unsupervised areas, are tired or have been drinking alcohol, the organisation said.

The aim of the campaign is to make Polish nationals aware of the dangers of swimming in open water and make sure they can enjoy outdoor swimming safely.