Warning as river life belts hit by vandalism
Councillor urges public to report attacks on equipment
Vandalism to water safety equipment lining the River Tay in Perth could potentially be putting lives at risk, it has been claimed.
Councillor Douglas Pover, convener of the community safety committee on Perth and Kinross Council, stressed the importance of looking after equipment such as life belts which line the iconic stretch of water.
The call comes against backdrop of the emergency services being called to incidents on the Tay several times in recent months.
On Monday, Police Scotland officers, Scotland Fire and Rescue Service personnel, the coastguard and the RNLI were all called out after a member of the public raised concerns about a male teenager seen on Queen’s Bridge just before 9pm.
Initial searches failed to shed any light on the situation. Police yesterday confirmed that enquiries into the incident were ongoing but stressed that no-one has been reported missing in connection to the incident.
Speaking generally Councillor Douglas Pover, who represents the ward covering the Carse of Gowrie, said damaging the potentially crucial items could also rack up an otherwise unnecessary bill owing to the cost of repairs.
He said: “There are problems with vandalism to the safety equipment, especially through the North Inch with an increase in people throwing the life belts into the water for fun.
“I would urge people to look after the equipment, it could save someone’s life – and they cost a lot of money to replace.
“You never know when you might need to use it, so they need to be there 24/7.
“People need to look after the safety equipment and report that too if they see it being vandalised. The public are our eyes and ears, they need to report these things.”
Councillor Pover continued: “It is quite alarming to see the number of times the emergency services have been called to the river.
“We have been working to improve safety at Woody Island by putting in extra equipment and signs have been put up around the bridges by the Samaritans.
“The fire service in Perth do water safety training and that is a priority to have that facility in Perth, so we do have rapid response equipment and it only A previous search over the River Tay takes minutes for them to get to the river from the station.
“They have boats which they can utilise in a quick time. If someone is in the water, people initially can throw in life rafts, and within minutes the fire service can be there.”
He added: “Again heading towards the summer months, there is a danger with young people going into deep lochs and cold water to cool off. The river is very fast flowing and deep. The water can get very cold and there can be a lot of rain nowadays with the summer floods, and that is something else to be wary of.
“It is really nice to have a river running through our town but it comes with a lot of risk.”
The incumbent elected member went on to highlight a number of charitable organisations around Perth and Kinross which work to raise awareness of these issues and support water rescue initiatives.
He said the Safe Taysiders are working tirelessly to deliver safety workshops to all P7 pupils in the region, and added that water safety has been a feature of these classes for a number of years.
Perth City Centre Liberal Democrat councillor Peter Barrett said: “The emergency and rescue services have been called into action following incidents reported from Perth to the Tay bridge in Dundee.
“I know the sound of
Cllr Douglas Pover Coastguard helicopter flights over the Tay in Perth create a sense of dread among many residents and distress within the local community at the prospect of another tragedy.
“The work done by these services and the extensive searches they conduct is hard, particularly when there is no prospect of finding the missing person alive but their efforts to relieve the pain and uncertainty of families who have lost a loved one in the Tay deserve our sincere thanks.”