Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
River exercise tests response to major incident
EMERGENCY services were put through their paces at a dramatic exercise designed to test their response to a major incident.
Mercy crews descended on the River Tay at Perth for a simulated boat crash.
Members of the public had been warned not to be alarmed by the sight of “bodies” in the water.
Mannequins were used as victims of a staged collision between two vessels.
Actors were also on shore to make the experience as realistic as possible.
Nearly all rescue services took part in the four-hour operation, along with Dundee Airport Fire Service and NHS Tayside.
Perth and Kinross Council, the British Red Cross, Willowgate Activity Centre and Perth Sailing Club were also drafted in.
Exercise director Ross Greenhill, of HM Coastguard, said: “We always say this is training for the day that we hope will never come.
“It’s difficult to get everyone together for an exercise, so this is a rare opportunity to test all the emergency services in a controlled environment without putting the public at risk.
“This makes sure that if a real emergency happens, we are well prepared for the challenges that major incidents bring.”
The exercise attracted crowds of spectators.