When people think of the RNLI preventing tragedies, lifesaving rescues usually spring to mind. But there is a host of other ways to keep people safe at sea – and on the river …

In 2012, two men were rescued from the River Thames by a member of staff from a nearby bar. He had been trained by the RNLI to spot casualties and use a throw bag. Just in cas

It makes sense, doesn’t it? Every year, thousands of visitors and locals eat, drink and get merry by the banks of England’s longest river. The inevitable result is that some end up in water that’s colder, deeper and stronger than they thought. Few people are closer to hand than the staff pulling their pints.

‘The idea to train Thames-side bar and restaurant employees came from Teddington Lifeboat Helm Andy Butterfield after a fatality on the river, which the lifeboat had no hope of reaching in time,’ explains Community Incident Reduction Manager Guy Addington. ‘Andy suggested that if drinkers and diners keep ending up in the Thames, we should train their bar staff and waiters to get them out. So we began throw bag, first aid and recovery sessions, and provided some basic equipment. It has been incredibly well received and lives have been saved as a result.’

THE WAY FORWARD
The Thames drowning prevention project is just one of several community-based schemes – located all around the UK and Republic of Ireland – devised by the RNLI to stop fatalities before they happen. Using the same logic as buckling up seatbelts in the car or wearing a crash helmet on a bike ride, certain routine precautions can stack the cards in our favour, should the worst happen while on the water.

Community Safety Product Manager Pip Hare has been working on a preventative safety campaign among yacht owners. She says: ‘Our statistics show that 1 in 8 yachters will fall overboard at some point – it’s easily done. If the casualty has a VHF radio on them, they can call for help even if their boat keeps going. And if they’re wearing a buoyancy device and appropriate clothing, they stand a better chance in the water until help arrives. If they haven’t taken these steps, the outcome will be very different.’

We’ve begun studies into the causes and circumstances of accidents among young people, anglers, yachters and a variety of watersports communities. Based on this information, the RNLI is delivering a host of free safety materials. Kayaking maps, with locations graded by difficulty, will hit shops in Anglesey this Summer, and we’ll extend their reach to new locations if they’re popular. Dog walkers in Portsmouth and the Republic of Ireland – where shouts to people trying to assist pets are common – will soon see up-to-date beach safety information posters, advising them of the best course of action if Fido goes for a dip. And our children’s Swim Safe scheme with the ASA (now in its third Summer) is expanding to new locations, including Jersey. Meanwhile, sailors will soon see a new safety campaign in their favourite publications. There’s plenty more in the pipeline.

JoJo Mains is the RNLI’s Community Safety Intelligence Manager, and works with data collected from lifeboat shouts. He explains: ‘We know exactly how many shouts are being made to groups or individuals doing certain activities, so now we need to explore why the accidents happened. That way, we can continue to target people at the earliest stages of their coastal activity – before they even get in the water. We’re conducting a number of studies with other industry experts and safety groups, and the information we gather will shape our future campaigns, ultimately putting us on track to reduce drowning by 50% by 2024.’

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RIVERSIDE RESCUE

The problem: The RNLI’s Thames lifeboat crews attend many shouts each year to people who have fallen into the river. The water is cold, deep and fast, and often a drink in one of the riverside’s pubs has played a part. Our lifeboats cannot always reach the scene quickly enough. Andy Butterfield, volunteer crew member on the Teddington lifeboat, had enough and suggested a solution.

What we did: RNLI staff and volunteers started to visit the stretch of Thames between Molesey Lock and Putney Bridge – particularly focusing on the busiest sections around Richmond and Kingston. In community sessions, the team began teaching bar staff and locals in these areas how to use throw bags and perform basic cold water rescue techniques. The scheme is ongoing and has been incredibly successful. In fact, just 3 weeks after he had attended one of the throw bag training sessions, the manager of one Kingston bar saved two men’s lives using his new skills.

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A CALL FOR HELP

The problem: From 2010 to 2012, 21 people died in kayaking incidents. The vast majority were male. Most wore the right clothing to keep them warm and dry for up to an hour in the water and had a buoyancy aid. However, not one made a call to the emergency services – they did not carry, or could not reach, a mobile phone or VHF handset to request help. Had they kept such a device in a waterproof pocket or pouch they were wearing, the outcome of these incidents would almost certainly have been less tragic.

What we did: The RNLI identified two types of kayakers for whom a communication device could be a lifesaver. These were experts, who frequent remote locations and love adventurous conditions; and enthusiastic hobbyists, who avoid organised groups, confidently heading out on the water alone. The experts look to the authority of kayak organisations for the latest information, so the RNLI is now working with the British Canoe Union to share information through specialist magazines and training. The hobby kayakers are being targeted through campaign messages on the secondhand equipment section of eBay and in watersports shops, with links to safety videos and further resources.

‘The message is so simple: take a VHF handset when you go out on the water and keep it on your person. It is no use if you – or it – fall out of your kayak and it can’t be reached,’ advises RNLI Community Safety Product Manager Chris Adams.

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TIME AND TIDE

The problem: Sully Island on the Vale of Glamorgan coast can be reached by foot in a 3-hour window either side of low tide. But over the years, hundreds of people have been left stranded on the island when the tide comes in. A similar problem occurs on Cramond Island in the Firth of Forth, where, from 2008 to 2013, nearly 600 people were rescued by Queensferry lifeboat. In both places, tide times are widely available as handbooks and charts, but these formats aren’t always easy to glance through.

What we did: In June 2014, the RNLI installed traffic lights on the Sully Island causeway to let walkers know when it was safe to begin the 40-minute round trip (green); when time is running out (amber) and when it’s unsafe to proceed (red). More lights will be put on the island itself and a few modifications are being made in time for the 2015 tourist season.

On Cramond Island, walkers can simply text ‘CRAMOND’ to 81400 and the RNLI will reply with safe crossing times. At the time of writing 2,360 people had used the service. Both these options are a ‘bite-sized’ way for both visitors and locals to get the information they need to avoid being stranded.

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PREVENTION:
RNLI HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

1854: Lifeboat crews given cork lifejackets.
1882: RNLI gives barometers to fishermen to help check if it’s safe to head out to sea.
1985: Storm Force kids’ club brings its first safety messages to children.
1995: Sea Safety initiative offers services such as free fishing boat ‘health checks’.
2012: Thames-side bar staff trained how to use public safety equipment.
2014: RNLI launches national Respect the Water safety campaign
(for more on the campaign, see RNLI.org/RespectTheWater).