Firefighters have issued videos about water safety following a tragic week for Carlisle.
Carlisle West Fire station has shared a video filmed in the river at Stony Holme demonstrating what a person can do if they get into difficulty in the water.
The video lasts 57 seconds and gives lifesaving advice to both those who can and cannot swim. Non-swimmers are urged to never go beyond their knee height in water.
The fire service said anyone who gets into difficulty in water or who falls in should form a star shape on their back to allow oxygen from their lungs and clothing to help them float.
It added that by doing this, regaining calm can allow a good swimmer to swim back to the shore and a non-swimmer to wait for aid comfortably.
The video advice has come after 15-year-old Lewis Michael Kirkpatrick died in Carlisle’s River Eden.
In a tweet the station said: “It’s been a tragic week for the city, and we’ll do all we can to stop it happening again.
It’s been a tragic week for the city, and we’ll do all we can to stop it happening again. But the weather is nice and children are off school this week, so please watch this short video and show it to anyone who might be playing around water.
— Carlisle West Fire Station (@FireCarlisle) May 31, 2023
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“But the weather is nice and children are off school this week, so please watch this short video and show it to anyone who might be playing around water.”
Crew members also shared a YouTube video explaining how to use the emergency throw lines that can be found in Rickerby park in Carlisle.
The throw lines can be found at Eden Bridges, Rickerby Park near the bridge, Holme Head Bay and Hammonds Pond.
In the video, a demonstration is given on how to use a throw line and how to open the lock boxes in which they are kept.
Throw lines are yellow floating ropes that are simple to use and can be thrown from the side of a body of water to someone in distress.
The service adds in the video to make sure you get the person in need’s attention first and then throw the line in the direction of their waist or legs and to throw it downstream, not upstream.
The organisation shared the following tips for keeping safe:
- If you are spending time near the water and fall in, don’t panic. Turn to float on your back, then call out for help or, if possible, swim to safety.
- Do not enter the water if you have consumed alcohol and avoid walking on routes that are near water to prevent falling in.
- Never enter the water to try and help another person or animal – call 999 and use any rescue equipment if it is available.
- Read up on the local safety information – every body of water is different and may pose different risks.
- Ensure children are always actively supervised.
In an emergency where someone has got into difficulty in the water, people are advised not to go into the water themselves. Instead, the service said individuals should stay calm, call for help and ring 999.
It added that your location should be given to 999, local landmarks can be used to help describe the exact place and that people should try to reach the casualty with a stick or belt, keeping low to the ground so they don’t get pulled in.
Individuals should find the nearest life ring to throw to them or anything that could help them stay afloat. If the person in difficulty goes under the water, a piece of clothing should be placed on the water’s edge to mark where they were last seen.
If there are multiple people trying to help the person in difficulty, one individual should go to the nearest road entrance to flag down the emergency services when they arrive to direct them to the incident quicker.
For more information and multi-lingual water safety resources, visit the fire service’s website at: Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service
