New throwline safety boards installed in Ironbridge Gorge
Two new throwline safety boards have been installed in the Ironbridge Gorge by Telford and Wrekin Council working in partnership with a number of key partners as part of a national water safety initiative.
There were more than 630 water-related deaths in the UK in 2020 and the council has worked with Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, the Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust and the Gorge Parish Council to install the boards to provide essential water rescue equipment, available for use by the public.
Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Green Spaces, Natural and Historic Environment and Cultural Services (Lab), Carolyn Healy said: “Our waterways are stunning places to visit and these throwlines will give some reassurance should someone accidentally get into difficulty.
“It’s been a great project between the Council, the Fire Service and the Parish Council with all partners wanting to make sure we are doing everything we can to make these areas safe and provide support to the communities that use and enjoy them.
“Rescue equipment such as these throwlines do save lives, and we cannot stress enough how important it is to put your own safety first. Too many people drown trying to rescue others. I would encourage everyone to visit the boards and familiarise themselves with how to use them and be prepared.”
The new equipment consists of a throwline in a locked box and instructions on how to deploy it. All the boards have a unique identifier on them and when this is passed on to the emergency services by calling 999 and asking for the ‘fire service’ it allows the crews to identify exactly where an incident is.
The code for the locked box is passed onto the caller so they can access the line to throw to the person in difficulty. A video showing how the boards work can be seen here.
James Sutherland, Road and Water Safety Officer from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Prevention team said: “It is great to see the installation of these boards along the River Severn in Ironbridge and working with the council to achieve this.
“In recent years there have been several incidents on local rivers and these boards provide initial rescue equipment until our crews arrive. They also give the crews vital information about the exact area of an incident, which aids response times.
“It is great to see people enjoying themselves around the water, but we want them to be doing it safely.”
If you see someone in difficulty in the water, do not enter it yourself, call 999 and ask for the fire service.
