Agencies meet to discuss water safety
Emergency services and charity agencies from across West Mercia have met to discuss water safety, as part of a campaign being backed by the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Amongst those present at the meeting, held on Thursday, was water safety ambassador Kirsty Walsh, whose husband Shane drowned in the River Severn in Shrewsbury last year.
She was joined by representatives from West Mercia Police, West Mercia Search and Rescue, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, the RNLI and the RLSS UK to met with the Commissioner, John Campion.
The agencies are working together to call for no more deaths in rivers and other open water, after 429 people drowned in England last year.
Kirsty said: "It was a fantastic meeting and it seems that everyone is singing from the same song sheet.
"We are all looking at what we can do together to educate people, regardless of their age, about the dangers of water. It was brilliant to see all the agencies working together on this. I can put Shane's story out there and hope there will not be another Kirsty Walsh going through what I have gone through.
"There are too many river deaths. We need to stop that. With the summer we have just had, there has been an increase in the number of people in the river. If we can educate children on water safety they will go home and tell their parents about it.
"I am really, really happy with how the meeting went and we have said we will meet again. I will keep what I am doing to raise awareness of water safety. I am doing it to keep Shane's memory alive. He would have done the same for me. I will do my utmost to save one life: that's what is important to me."
Mr Campion said: “There’s been some excellent work across a range of agencies and sectors, and I am pleased to lead this drive, bringing together a range of partners with the same focus to reduce open water deaths. Education and engagement is vitally important, not only to protect communities but to ensure emergency and voluntary resources aren’t drawn to incidents that could have been prevented. I look forward to working collectively to build awareness of this important issue.”
The Commissioner recently gave his backing to West Mercia Search and Rescue’s Home and Dry Campaign. Their Water Safety Course is suitable for all ages, and is available online and offline with information on the dangers of water and how to rescue someone in trouble.
