Shame that such a tragedy happened (From Worcester News)
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Shame that such a tragedy happened
8:00am Thursday 18th March 2010 in
SIR – What a shame it took the police service 93 minutes to get divers (from Avon and Somerset) up to the scene of the tragic incident on the river at Evesham recently – when there were experienced local divers available at about 30 minutes’ notice who were not called upon.
Health and Safety Executive “regulations” are surely not the point in an immediately life- threatening situation.
We should all be afraid of an Health and Safety Executive culture that discourages or stops risk-taking and acts of courage in such circumstances.
It also would appear that the police service were not able to co-operate fully with established local voluntary rescue services. This will sadly alienate the emergency services from the very citizens they claim to be serving.
ANDREW SANDERS,
Upton-upon-Severn.
Comments(4)
clerken
says...
2:05pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Tulstar
says...
2:35pm Thu 18 Mar 10
clerken wrote:It all depends on the nature of the incident I guess... If there is a vehicle involved then there's a chance that an air pocket would have been created when it sunk, allowing someone who was trapped inside to breath for a limited amount of time. In a case like this, the 30-minute response would have been of much more benefit.
One has to wonder whether the divers you refer to would have been of any use after 30 minutes anyway? Surely only an almost immediate respose would have served in the circumstances?
Common Sense
says...
4:58pm Thu 18 Mar 10
Could nobody who was there, swim?
What were they thinking while standing there watching them calling for help? For God's sake, it was an emergency! One reacts and helps!
I am quite heartbroken for the little girl and the parents and brother - and still wonder why nobody, but nobody went in to help them?
Did nobody have a rope? It's not unbelievable, because that is the society we have built, in blind obedience of the Almighty Health & Safety do-gooders and PC brigade!
A plague on all their houses! The sooner they go, the better - let's bring back some common sense!
CS.
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Tulstar says...
1:46pm Thu 18 Mar 10
.
Exactly
.
I feel very sorry for the Authorities, who are not able to call upon people such as the experienced divers you mentioned, just because of regulations and procedures.
.
Whoever sets the regulations should be ashamed of themselves. When peoples lives are at stake you use whatever resources are close to hand, regardless of whether they conform with procedure or not! The resources here were experienced divers, who were a good hour closer to the scene than the ones draughted in.
.
This literally could have made the difference between life and death on this occasion.