Definitions

Term Used	Meaning	Link
Commercial	Fatalities that occurred whilst the victim was at work or partaking in a 'paid for' activity. This term is used to group the activities Transport, Fishing and other occupational activity.
Transport	Fatalities during a commercial transport event (i.e. fall from passenger ferry or capsize of a hire boat). Non commercial vehicle incidents are identified separately.
Fishing	Commercial fishing.
Other Occupational Activity	Fatalities during work activity, that cannot be classified within any of the other commercial definitions.
Leisure	Fatalities that occur where the victim was not at work and not undertaking in a paid activity. This term is used to group the activities Swimming, Sub Aqua, Angling, Sailing, Powered boating, Rowing, Canoeing, Other watersports including both non and other intentional immersion.
Swimming	Intentional immersion into water with the specific purpose of swimming. We make no distinction between organised and informal swimming at this level. Water play, jumping in and bathing is identified separately within other intentional immersion.
Sub Aqua	Scuba diving and snorkeling.	BSAC
Angling	Non commercial fishing.
Sailing	Boats primarily powered by sail.
Powered Boating	Boats primarily powered by an engine.
Rowing	All boats propelled by oars or sculls. There is no distinction made in this definition between sport rowing (i.e. racing) and casual rowing (i.e. rowing a dingy to a yacht).
Canoeing	Paddlesport activity generically referred to as canoeing. Encompassing the disciplines of kayaking, canoeing, rafting, surf skis and 'sit on tops'.
Other watersports	Water based outdoor activities which are not covered by the other leisure definitions. Typically this will include: Surfing, Body Boarding, Kite Surfing and hybrid emerging sports.
Driving	Incidents occurring to a driver or passenger of a powered road vehicle which entered water. Confirmed deliberate fatality events (i.e. suicides) in vehicles are classified within the deliberate fatality cases.
Non intentional immersion	This includes fatalities whereby the victim ended in the water by accidentally falling.
Other intentional immersion	Fatal event where by the victim was diving or jumping from structures, paddling and water play. A fatality classified using this term will only occur when we are sure that the victim was not partaking in one of the named leisure activities, and had intentionally put themselves into the water.
Subject to further inquiry	Those fatalities where more information is required to accurately place the incident, or the fatality is still under investigation by statutory authority.
Natural causes	Events which the cause of death was resultant from a natural medical condition.
Deliberate fatality	Confirmed suicide and homicide events.
Suspected natural causes	Fatal events that are suspected to be primarily due to a natural medical cause. The confirmed events are indicated within the natural causes definition.
All water fatalities	Total of all UK water related fatalities. Specifically: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, limited within the boundaries of the UK search and rescue sector. Fatalities occurring to British nationals abroad are not presented within this data set.
Residential	Home environment including locations which offer professional supervision services in a home setting (i.e. care homes and nurseries). Swimming pool fatalities occurring at an individuals home will also be placed within this category.
Pool	Managed facility primarily for the purposes of swimming. An event that occurs in a swimming pool at an individuals' home will be classified with the residential category.
Inland	Ponds, lakes, rivers, canals, streams and tributaries to the navigable barrier.
Coastal	Less than 3 miles offshore. Including beaches, harbours and docks.
Sea	More than 3 miles offshore, to the limit of the UK SAR boundaries.

Note about definitions

The activity and location definitions applied have been developed in consultation with the relevant sport national governing body, through the watersport advisory group. The approach taken was to apply the simplest definition that encompasses the full range of activity , for example the activity of rowing can be undertaken in a scull specifically designed for speed and racing, equally many people row on a park lake in small leisure boats. The approach to participation to these two activities are very different, however ultimately the activity undertaken was rowing. In developing the location definitions, reference to existing norms or standards have been adopted where possible.

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