Water Safety Week campaign hits Durham

Durham Fire and Rescue Service have launched a week long “‘Water Safety” campaign while most students are still on their Easter vacation. 

Reports by the Chronicle suggest it is the aims of the fire chiefs to make people aware of the “Fatal Five” factors regarding water.

The “Fatal Five” are cold water shock, dangers beneath the water surface, currents or water conditions, alcohol consumption and swimming competency.

Staff will be handing out information across Durham in a bid to promote river safety.

Local bars, clubs and the University bars, will display beer mats containing various safety messages. These will also appear on large screens on Framwellgate Bridge on Thursday and Friday.

Second year Euan Coulthard drowned in this area in January.

Framwellgate Bridge

Assistant Community Protection and Prevention Manager, Andy Bruce said: “We know only too well in this region, water safety is of the highest importance.

“We hope by highlighting the ‘fatal five’ dangers during drowning prevention and water safety week, we will stress the importance of taking care near inland waterways.

“The events the service has planned also aim to remind young people, in particular, to look out for themselves and their friends to prevent any more lives being cut short in such tragic accidents.”

Similar plans have already been trialled with a “Dead Drunk” beer mat campaign being rolled out across the city last term.

These preventative measures are not only aimed at the River Wear, but also focus on other inland bodies of water, including reservoirs, lakes, canals, water filled quarries and other rivers.

The river in January

They come as part of a campaign already initiated by Durham County Council following a series of fatalities in a short period of time. Three Durham students have died in the river in the past 14 months.

County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service swift water rescue crews were involved in the search and recovery of all the missing students.