A Portsafe with telescopic rescue pole and emergency throwline throw bag has been installed alongside the River Severn in Worcester city centre with the team at Reach and Rescue heading down to attend the official unveiling event on Monday September 16th 2019. The board itself is dedicated to Worcester University student Tom Jones, who tragically passed away just days into his course in September 2018 after falling into the river whilst walking home alone after enjoying a few drinks with his friends.
The Portsafe was donated as an integral part of our new Water Safety Partnership with the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK). The official unveiling event served as a platform to announce our partnership, but was also timed to fall within RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown drowning prevention campaign which ran between 12th – 19th September 2019. The campaign’s primary message aims to raise awareness of the heightened dangers of water to people who have been drinking. According to official statistics, between 2013 – 2017 there were 451 accidental drownings involving alcohol and/or drugs in the UK; this represents 29% of all accidental drownings that occurred during this period.
Tom’s parents Vicki & Ian were also in attendance at the event on Monday. Together with Reach and Rescue, they’ve pledged their support for RLSS UK’s Don’t Drink and Drown campaign. Mum Vicki says at the event, “we can’t change what’s happened to us, but we hope within our hearts that this lifesaving equipment will prevent another water death.” To support the charity and its key messages, Tom’s parents are urging individuals to never walk near water or go into water themselves – especially if they’re under the influence.
A key proponent of our water safety partnership with the RLSS UK is collaboration; whereas RLSS UK focus on delivering their extensive knowledge of water safety through comprehensive training and education, our contribution is through our innovative rescue equipment. Of their plans following on from the campaign going forward, Robert Gofton, RLSS UK CEO, said: “These September activities, happening all over the UK, are a warm up to the main bulk of activity in December, where we will be carrying out throwline training and campaign activity at particular drowning hotspots, as well as launching a new video and resources.”
Our marketing manager Stuart has this to say on the Water Safety Partnership:
“Reach and Rescue are ecstatic at becoming Water Safety Partners with the Royal Life Saving Society UK. We’re delighted our vision of a future where death by accidental drowning being completely preventable is shared with the UK’s leading provider of drowning prevention education. Our innovative water rescue equipment is already enabling members of the public to save lives across the UK but together with RLSS UK we’ll strive to make this shared vision a fully-fledged reality.”
Don’t Drink and Drown will return between 2nd – 8th of December 2019 and together with RLSS UK we’ll be pushing its core messages across our website and social media.
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For more information on any of the topics discussed in this article, get in touch with Stuart: stuart@reachandrescue.com.
Portsafe has already saved a life. Read about the real-life rescue to save a member of the public from drowning in the River Great Ouse in Bedford.
We interviewed prominent water safety advocate ‘Throwbag’ Tommy Richardson as part of our own drive to raise water safety awareness.
Speak to us about any of our innovative water rescue products by calling us on 03301 595 088 or by emailing jo@reachandrescue.com
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