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Home » News & Events » 2011 » July » Water safety campaign launched at canal re-opening

Water safety campaign launched at canal re-opening

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The Service attends more than 50 water rescues and water based incidents each year (see note below) from rivers, lakes and canals across the two counties, many of them in conjunction with colleagues from other emergency services. Some of the rescues have involved serious injuries or even fatalities, and so H&WFRS is keen to highlight water safety awareness to children, their parents and as wide a cross-section of the local community as possible.


Station Commander Adrian Thompson from H&WFRS said: "We were delighted to be part of this weekend's celebrations to mark the re-opening of the canal at Droitwich. It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the activities on offer and know that many more tourists are likely to visit the area because this stretch of the canal is now accessible.

"For our part, we want to be sure that all those using the canal stay safe and so we chose to use this weekend's event to highlight water safety to both those on or near the water."

While a full list of water safety tips is available on H&WFRS's website at www.hwfire.org.uk , Station Commander Thompson was keen to stress some key advice for parents.

This includes encouraging children to learn to swim and making sure they are supervised at all times near open water. He urged everyone to take notice of safety information located next to rivers, lakes and canals, and never to enter the water near weirs, locks, pipes and sluices.

He warned that even during the summer months, the water can be cold enough to cause cramp or breathing difficulties, and that there may be pollution, strong currents or objects below the water that aren't easily seen but that can be extremely hazardous to swimmers.

He highlighted how jumping from bridges was particularly dangerous, and warned people never to enter the water while under the influence of alcohol.

He explained that H&WFRS has been called to several incidents recently where people have had to be rescued after they have lost control of their boats on the two counties' rivers or canals, and so also warned those using the waterways to heed any warning signs, to be especially vigilant in high winds or changing water levels.

He ended: "We recommend that people stay together near water so that if one person gets into trouble, there is still someone who can call for help. By being alert to the dangers, everyone can enjoy the water in safety."