Drunken river plunge an act of ‘sheer stupidity’
Volunteers patrolling on the River Medway on the night pubs finally reopened after lockdown saved the same man from the water not once but twice.
Nine members of Kent Search and Rescue - four in two boats and five in vehicles on the riverside - were on duty in Maidstone town centre when the drunken reveller plunged into the water from a bridge shortly after 9pm. He was heard shouting “Help me I can’t swim” before being pulled from the river in a distressed state.
Then, in an act rescuers have condemned as “sheer stupidity”, the man jumped back into the river, sending the two rescue boats to retrieve him once more. He ran off as medical teams arrived on the scene.
James Dunn is search manager for the resuce charity, which relies on donations to fund its operating costs of almost £40,00 a year.
He said: “We can’t believe the sheer stupidity of this individual.
“He not only put his own life at risk but twice caused rescue teams to put their lives at risk in an effort to help him.”
The Safe and Dry river patrols were launched by the search charity following a number of tragedies where young people have lost their lives due to drowning.
Just over five years ago, Pat Lamb, was on a night out in Maidstone when he fell into the Medway and lost his life. KSAR says research shows young men are more likely to end up in water during a night drinking. On the day dubbed Super Saturday, with pubs, restaurants and hairdressers all emerging from lockdown, queues were seen outside town centre businesses.
As the Muggleton Inn Wetherspoons prepared to open at 8am, Jenny Baker and Martin Hephzibah, both from Maidstone, could be found first in line.
Ms Baker said the day was about “having a coffee and a chat with friends, and then getting a food shop done.”
Queues were also seen outside barber shops and hair salons as people awaited overdue trims after months in lockdown. Despite fears of disorder as people flocked back to the town’s bars, those on the ground
‘He put his own life at risk but twice caused rescue teams to put their lives at risk’
report a relatively peaceful Saturday night.
Officers were called to a disturbance at The Stag pub in Middle Row, where two men were arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
They were issued with a penalty notice and the pub decided to close voluntarily at around 10.30pm.
Ilsa Butler, business improvement district manager at One Maidstone, said: “We have supported these venues and were glad to see a cautious and safe approach being implemented.” Asst Ch Con Claire Nix said: “The vast majority of people behaved responsibly.”