As we started this week with severe weather warnings for rain, winds and floods I noticed two news stories in the media, highlighting canal safety. The Star reported that in south Yorkshire a man drowned after walking his dogs by a canal. It is believed the 39-year-old may have entered the water to rescue one of his dogs. The incident happened on Saturday night in Rotherham. A police officer threw a ‘lifeline’ into the water before firefighters arrived and managed to retrieve the man from the water. There was a 7ft drop to the water, and the canal was nine or 10ft deep. Paramedics gave emergency first aid at the scene but he later died in hospital.

On the same day The Horncastle News reported that a toddler was saved from drowning by quick thinking boater, Riki Kittel, also on Saturday. Mrs Kittel heard something fall into the water outside her boat. She was able to reach out of her side-hatch and grab the child’s hand pulling him to safety. Mrs Kittel and her husband Clive were moored at Welford Wharf on the Grand Union when the incident happened.

The Canal and River Trust promotes water safety through its SAFE (Stay Away From the Edge) campaign and reminds the public that canals, rivers and reservoirs are not suitable places for swimming. There could be hidden obstructions or debris under the water.

In other news, narrowboatworld.com reported that a drunk driver crashed into another car then impaled his vehicle onto a girder of Barton Swing Bridge over the Manchester Ship Canal.

So all in all, it’s been a dangerous start to the week on the canals. At the time of writing there are currently 21 flood warnings and 108 flood alerts in place and Monday’s Express newspaper reported that a month's worth of rain was expected in one day. Check for alerts near you at The Environment Agency website.

It might be safer to stay home and browse boats for sale at Boatshed. Do you have any safety tips or scary stories? Have you ever got your boat caught on the cill in a lock? Have you ever fallen in? Share your stories on our Facebook page.

Peggy
www.narrowboatwife.com

You may also like:
Living on a Boat: The Boatshed Guide (free) / Tom and Dale Row the Grand Union / Rowing the Grand Union in a Bathtub / A slideshow of our boat of the moment./Blog Archive

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