York Rescue Boat’s call-outs are up on last year – and the team today joined others to hammer home the water safety message.
There have been a number of deaths in the River Ouse in the last few months.
Today (Friday) is World Drowning Prevention Day and the rescue boat team joined North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service officers and lifeboat volunteers at the riverside.
York Rescue Boat has had a very active year so far, coxswain Mark Mullen told YorkMix.
“It’s been a busy year. I think we’re on call-out 42 or 43 for the year so far, which is above last year.
“We’d like it to be zero casualties in the water, as every agency here today would, obviously. That’s unlikely, but we’ll keep doing what we can to reduce the numbers of people who get into difficulty and need need our assistance.”
All the water safety experts were giving advice to residents and visitors today. Mark said people were very receptive to that message.
But he added that alcohol was always an added risk factor.
“It’s a fairly bad combination, drinking and rivers. Across the country, across the world, it’s it’s proven it doesn’t end that well often.”
Firefighters used a demonstration tank to show the dangers of going into the water near a weir, where the currents drag you under.
They said if you were going to enter a river, the key was to do it slowly so your body acclimatises to the temperatures, otherwise you can get cold water shock.
Alan Marsden, from York, is a water safety volunteer for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
He was at the riverside too. This was his advice if you accientally fall in the river.
“The core advice is float to live. If you’re struggling, you lean back and you put your ears in the water.
“And the reason why you put your ears in the water is it forces your mouth and nose clear of the water, and it forces your chest up into a more natural float position.
“You can move your arms a little bit to help float, if that gives you more confidence, but the main thing is to relax.”
Anyone on the riverside shouldn’t jump in to try and save someone, but call 999 and try to get a float or throw line to the person in the water.
Alan also said to beware the temptation of jumping in on a hot day, as the water will still be breathtakingly cold.
He said: “When the air temperature gets to 25 degrees and above there’s a five times increase in accidental fatalities.”