Following the tragic boating accident which led to a woman losing her life at the weekend, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging boaters to take extra care on or around the canal.Warwicks...
Following the tragic boating accident which led to a woman losing her life at the weekend, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service are urging boaters to take extra care on or around the canal.
Warwickshire fire and rescue service were called to the incident at around 11.00am on Saturday to rescue a woman who had fallen into Coventry Canal, near Grendon. As part of the rescue attempt, we worked in partnership with a number of agencies including, Warwickshire Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), WMAS Hazardous Area Response Team, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and British Waterways. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of all involved, the woman was sadly confirmed dead at the scene.
Group Commander for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, Tim Sargent said:
“This was a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the lady who lost her life at the weekend. As a fire and rescue service, our priority is to protect the communities we serve and highlight key safety measures where possible when a tragic incident takes place.
“In light of this, we are urging all boaters to take extra care when opening or closing locks, especially following rainfall as they can be very slippery. If you are getting off the boat, please ensure that the people you are travelling with know where you are and what you are doing. Regularly check that you know where everyone is and raise the alarm as quickly as possible if someone is missing. It only takes a minute for someone to fall in, if they do, act quickly, use a throwline and call out the emergency services. Do not enter the water to rescue someone, the risks are just too high.”
For more information on staying safe on the waterways, visit - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/safety-on-our-waterways