Following an incident at the weekend when firefighters had to rescue three people from the Water of Leith at the Shore in Edinburgh, fire chiefs are urging people to be aware of the dangers that open water can pose.
Three men aged 23, 32 and 39 were pulled from the water at 10.30pm on Saturday (17 July). It is believed the group had been drinking in Leith when one man jumped into the water and his two friends followed him in, possibly to rescue him. Fire crews were called to the scene and were able to get them out using a short extension ladder to assist them out of the water; they were taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for a check up.
Community Safety Manager at Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service, David Lockhart said:
“Tragically every year we see people lose their lives in accidental drownings. Open water can be very dangerous for youngsters and people who may choose to go into the water after having a drink. We want people to be aware of the dangers and stay safe this summer.
“Stay out of rivers and open areas of water, they can often be deceptively calm but can hide strong currents or weeds which can pose real risks.
“Our advice is if you see someone in trouble in the water call 999 and stay out of the water. That way you can help emergency services by telling them exactly what you have seen and allow them to carry out a rescue.
“It is very easy to get into difficulty quite quickly in water and there have been cases of strong swimmers caught in fast moving currents and being unable to get themselves out of trouble.
“Whilst we can understand how easy it is for people to try and help by going into the water there are real risks involved in doing so.”
