Volunteers teach lifesaving skills after Shrewsbury river tragedies
Search and rescue volunteers taught Salopians young and old how to save a life with river safety lessons at a fun day.
West Mercia Search and Rescue crews were at Crowmoor Primary School in Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, at the weekend to teach people how to throw lines correctly and how to react in an emergency situation.
It comes after several serious River Severn incidents in Shrewsbury in recent months, including two deaths.
River safety campaigner Victoria Ireland, who runs the Make Our River Safer group, organised for the volunteers to attend.
She said: "It was really good. We had the West Mercia Search and Rescue volunteers, who got their quad bikes out. A lot of people were having a go at throwing the lines. It was good fun.
"I was speaking to a lot of people about Make Our River Safer and what we'll be doing next. The mayor was there and the town crier.
"It was all about teaching people about the risks."
She added: "It's important that as many people as possible know what to do. Realistically, with the time it takes for the emergency services to arrive, there is more chance that someone who ends up in the river will need to be saved by a member of the public who is already there."
The group is campaigning for a range of measures, including better CCTV and fencing along the river, and Victoria said she is exploring the possibility of a night bus to help revellers get home safe instead of walking.
