National Press Office
- 14-Jul-2008 - The Environment Agency is
urging youngsters planning to go fishing,
cycle or simply hang out with friends down
by their local river over the summer holidays
to be aware of the dangers posed by fast-currents,
weirs and locks, cold water, and unstable
riverbanks.
William Crookshank, the Environment Agency’s
National Recreation Manager, said: “Water
claims the lives of more than 50 children
a year in the UK. In fact, drowning is the
third most common accidental death among
Britain’s under 16s, behind road accidents
and house fires.
“We have worked hard
to raise awareness among young people about
the dangers of swimming in rivers through
campaigns such as ‘Don’t Go In’. We also
linked up with the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to produce
the popular teaching pack ‘R U A Dummy 2?’
to help adults educate youngsters about
the risks and promote the water safety message.
“However, the statistics
show that there is still work to do to get
the message across that the hazards are
often hidden, and underestimating the dangers
of water can have tragic consequences.”
More than half of all
drownings occur in our rivers, canals, lakes
and pools every year. The latest figures
show 179 people drowned in inland waters
in 2005.
William Crookshank said
the Environment Agency was reminding people
of all ages to stay safe around water with
10 top tips:
10 top tips for staying safe around water
• Don’t jump or dive into rivers as the
depth is uncertain and there can be unseen
and dangerous things in the water.
• Be aware of the danger of strong currents
and don’t go into water near things like
weirs, locks, pipes and sluices.
• Take notice of any safety information,
warning signs or flags. Know what the signs
mean and do as they advise.
• Realise that water can be very cold no
matter what time of year. Those going into
cold water can very quickly experience difficulties
in swimming and develop cramp and breathing
difficulties.
• Keep away from the rivers edge and closely
supervise young children when near any water.
Drowning can occur very quickly and even
in shallow water.
• Wear the recommended safety equipment
for your activity, such as life jackets
and helmets.
• Be warned of the dangers of using airbeds,
inner tubes and other floatation devices.
They can be easily carried or blown into
deep water and may not keep you afloat.
• Consuming alcohol may impair your ability
and judgment when on or in water.
• Get trained in life saving and resuscitation
techniques and know what to do in an emergency.
• Teach children to swim and not to go into
water alone, or unsupervised. Always ensure
someone knows where you are and what you’re
doing.
What to do if you see
someone in difficulties
• Get help: ring 999 or get someone else
to do it. Alternatively if you are on your
own without a mobile phone, call for help
if you can see people are nearby, or go
and get help.
• Think: of your own safety first. Don’t
put yourself in danger by going into the
water to rescue someone – you may get in
trouble in the water too.
• Reach: a stick, scarf or clothes tied
together can help you reach the person.
Crouch or lie down to avoid being pulled
into the water yourself, or
• Throw: a rope is best because you can
then pull the person in. If you don’t have
any rope, throwing something in that will
float, such as a ball, a plastic bottle
or a lifebuoy, will assist in keeping the
person afloat until help arrives.
The Environment Agency
manages some 1,000km of inland waterway
across England and Wales and issues safety
advice as part of its role to encourage
everyone to enjoy these rivers as well as
coastal waters wisely. It is also one of
several leading organisations that make
up the National Water Safety Forum, which
seeks to provide a concerted voice on water
safety matters.
You can also read and
download the R U A Dummy 2? pack and video
at http://www.rospa.com/ruadummy2/index.htm
Children and teachers can also find out
more on www.wow4water.net/ and www.getsafe4summer.org
For details on how to enjoy the River Thames
safely, log onto www.visitthames.co.uk
+ More
Environment Agency clears
Bosbury culvert
Ben Ashmore - 14-Jul-2008
-The Environment Agency’s Operations Delivery
Team has successfully arranged for the de-silting
of a culvert on Dowdings Brook.
Our contractor Onsite
carried out the work this month, moving
some 50 tonnes of silt at a cost of £6,000.
The work took one week to complete.
The culvert was recently
constructed using local levy funds to replace
an old undersized brick culvert which had
caused much flooding in the village of Bosbury.
After last year’s high
water levels much silt had been transported
along the Dowdings Brook and came to rest
in the new culvert severely restricting
its capacity.
Operations Delivery
Team Technical Specialist, George Tomlin,
says “Having been made aware of the situation
Operations Delivery were quick to investigate
and arrange removal of the silt to reduce
further the risk of flooding in this area.”
