NEW water rescue equipment supplied to Tayside Fire and Rescue crews in Perth by Safe-Tay helped save the life of a young woman from the fast-flowing River Tay on Tuesday evening.

Members of Perth Fire Station’s Green Watch raced to the river at 9.15pm when a call was received that a female was hanging from the Perth Bridge.

Watch manager Brian Teven described how a river drowning tragedy was averted: “When we arrived she was already in the water and between the two bridges.

“We parked on the Queen’s Bridge, from which we managed to throw out the new lines into the water.

“She grabbed hold of one of the throwlines but then let go of it. She managed to get hold of another and was pulled to the bank, where she was carried up the steps to Tay Street and put straight into an ambulance and taken to hospital.”

Brian said it was very fortunate for the 20-year-old and her rescuers that she remained on the surface while being swept downstream between the two bridges in the city centre.

At the successful conclusion of the 20-minute rescue operation the young woman was taken to PRI for a check-up and treatment for the effects of the cold.

“It was a very good joint rescue involving 13 firefighters, police officers and the ambulance service,” continued Brian.

“It was the first time the new throwlines had been used effectively. They are the first stage of water rescue equipment we are getting.”

The water rescue equipment and recent training in water rescue techniques for Tayside Fire and Rescue personnel came as a result of similar incidents of people in the Tay’s treacherous waters.

Last year a charity, Safe-Tay, was launched to promote river safety. Safe-Tay has developed a number of initiatives with help from staff at Tayside Fire and Rescue to try to prevent drowning tragedies.

Article from Perthshire Advertiser