Rita
Penman - 24-Sep-2008 - The Environment Agency
is reminding youngsters of the dangers posed
by rivers, cold water, locks and weirs after
the emergency services had to be called
to help teenagers in trouble on the River
Ancholme.
Services, including
the coastguard helicopter and Humber rescue,
were called out when two teenagers, using
an inflatable mattress, went into the water
near Horkstow Bridge between South Ferriby
and Brigg at 8.33pm on Wednesday 10 September
2008.
The river was in flood
when the youths went into the water just
a few hundred metres upstream of the open
sluice gates at South Ferriby. The river
leads to the Humber.
Nick Bromidge, Waterways
Team Leader at the Environment Agency, said:
‘Rivers can be dangerous in normal circumstances,
but even more so at this time of year. Hazards
are often hidden in the water, and underestimating
the dangers can have tragic consequences.
‘We most likely would
have been looking at two deaths if the teenagers
had been swept through South Ferriby sluice.’
After the youths were
removed from the water, they were taken
to a nearby pub for medical treatment, which
they refused, and then taken home where
they and their parents were reprimanded
by the police.
The Environment Agency
wants to remind everyone of the dangers
of swimming in rivers as drowning is the
third most common accidental death among
Britain’s under 16s, behind road accidents
and house fires.
Nick Bromidge said the
Environment Agency was reminding people
of all ages to stay safe around water with
these 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 objects in the
water.
Be aware of the danger of strong currents
and don’t go into water near 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 to get help.
• Think: of your own
safety first. Don’t put yourself in danger
by going into the water to rescue someone
as 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 navigable 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.
Check out our interactive
CD on the web at www.watersafetykids.co.uk
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
+ More
Elver fisherman banned
for using illegal net
Mike Dunning - 25-Sep-2008
- A Taunton man has been fined £1000
and banned from elver fishing for three
years after he was caught fishing illegally
on the River Parrett in Somerset.
Keith Gould told magistrates
he had fallen victim to the ‘credit crunch’
and needed to earn some extra money. Environment
Agency bailiffs caught him using an illegal
fixed net at Huntworth Lane near Bridgwater.
An elver dip net should
only be operated by hand. Agency officers
saw that Gould had attached a rope and float
to his net and fixed the net handle to the
riverbank using a stake.
The net was immediately
seized by bailiffs.
A net used in this way
is known as a ‘fixed engine’ and gives a
fisherman an unfair advantage over law-abiding
fishermen. Eel numbers have declined in
recent years and it is important stocks
are not over-fished.
Gould, of 2 Valley Road,
Taunton was fined £1,000 and ordered
to pay £350 costs by Bridgwater magistrates
on Wednesday (September 24) after pleading
guilty to fishing for elvers on the River
Parrett without a licence on April 19, 2008,
an offence under Section 27 of the Salmon
and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975. He was
also disqualified from holding an elver
licence for three years and ordered to pay
a £15 victim surcharge.
Visibly angered by the
penalty, Gould stormed out of the court
building shouting abuse at magistrates,
court officers and Agency staff.
‘Illegal fishing enables
people to catch more than their fair share
of elvers. It harms the environment by removing
food for creatures such as otters and kingfishers
and is unfair to law-abiding elver fishermen.
We will not tolerate fixed nets and will
prosecute anyone we catch using them on
the River Parrett,’ said Richard Dearnley
for the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency
regularly inspects the elver fishery on
the River Parrett. Fishermen pay £69
a year for a licence. Dip nets are used
to catch elvers – baby eels – as they enter
freshwater after their journey from the
Sargasso Sea. Elver fishing can be lucrative.
In 2005 the price of elvers reached £525
per kilogram. They currently fetch around
£200 per kilogram.
