 "Lonely Water" was directed by Jeff Grant and written and produced by Christine Hermon for Illustra Films, having been commissioned by the COI as a result of official concern over the high number of child fatalities in drowning accidents in the UK.Other PIFs of the early 1970s to tackle the subject of water safety included an instalment of the "Charley Says" series and "Learn to Swim" featuring Rolf Harris, which were targeted at younger children and parents respectively.