Heroes of the hour
THE story about the emergency crew letting a man drown in 3ft of water because of health and safety rules (Mail) reminded me of something that happened when I was very small.
On the promenade in West Kirby on the Wirral, a young lad who was playing on the slippery slope surrounding the lake fell into the water. A crowd quickly gathered and advice was offered.
My quick-thinking mum sounded the horn on my aunt’s car. From way down the other end of the promenade, two young gentleman in blue uniforms came racing up, took in the situation and went straight into the water, uniforms and all, to rescue the little boy.
The boy’s irate mother then shook him and stalked off, leaving the rescuers dripping wet without even a thank-you for their actions.
The brave rescuers came home with us, were bathed, fed and found some dry clothes. In those days we had National Service, and West Kirby was home to an RAF station. The rescuers were from there. After dinner, Dad drove them back to their camp.
To the best of my knowledge, their bravery went unnoticed, and though I have tried several times to bring their brave action to the attention of the relevant authorities, I have not succeeded because I don’t know their names.
They would now be in their 70s. How times have changed.
D. CONDON, Nelson, Lancs. I COULD not believe the actions of firefighters and other emergency services while Simon Burgess was left floating face-down in a lake.
Having retired from the fire service after completing 31 years, I find this ongoing fixation with health and safety a discredit to my once-proud service. When I joined the London Fire Brigade in 1979, a fireman’s first and primary duty was to save life
In this particular case, a firefighter could have been secured by a line (rope) and gone to rescue this man.
I recall an incident some years ago when a car was submerged in the River Roding. I and a fellow officer swam down to the car in the middle of winter in the early hours of the morning to see if anyone was inside. Foolhardy maybe, but at least I can sleep at night. GARY PAUL (ex Watch Manager LFB),
South Ockendon, Essex. ‘GREATER love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.). I despair for the future of England. MAURICE R. KIRKPATRICK,
Kenilworth, Warks. HOW long has it been that fire officers can order the police not to save lives? If I had been that policeman, knowing that the water was only 3ft deep, I would have disregarded the fire chief’s order not to help. And I as a member of the public, with the same information, would have gone in.
D. ARMSTRONG, Milton Keynes, Bucks. SO what has 30 years of progressive liberal thinking and the systematic removal of Christian morality given us?
Apparently, a society at ease with emergency services being unwilling to drag a drowning man from 3ft of water, the casual abortion of unwanted babies, euthanasia of the elderly and giving a parking ticket to a driver who stopped his van in the bus lane to assist a woman lying injured in the street.
Am I the only one who thinks that our Brave New World is not so brave?
ALAN CARTER, Kenton, Newcastle. THANK goodness we had no ‘professionals’ stating that the ‘safety of employees takes precedence over the objective’ on June 6, 1944, or a ban on wading in deep water, or this letter may have been in German.
HUGH W. DUNLOP, Glasgow.