The world has gone mad

[TheOtherHalf]

Just reading in DM that a man drowned in a 3 foot deep lake as paramedics etc stood and watched as they were given strict orders to stay on dry land for health and safety reasons ??? Why take up a job like that if you are not able to save peoples lives. It just doesnt make sense. I couldnt live with myself if I had not tried to save someone when I know I could have.

[TheOtherHalf]

http://www.dailymail....lth-safety-rules.html

[mumsie_wumsie]

Apparentley they had to wait for rescuers who were able to go into chest high water. They were not allowed to go in because it was deeper than ankle deep. What a fiasco!!!!! Health and safety??? it didn't do the poor man any good did it ????

[Old_Geezer]

This sounds an old story. Surely it must have already been discussed here ?

[pdust]

I am so gobsmacked by that I honestly do not know what to say! Like you I wouldn't be able to live with myself if i had been in that situation

[TheOtherHalf]

Exactly. Its like firemen not being allowed to enter a blazing building because its too hot. Surely even if they had put someone on the end of a lifebouy and he had waded in. I would have done. Unless you are unconcious, you are not going to drown in 3 ft of water (unless smaller than that of course ) no one would go to swimming pools if that were the case

[sasskins]

I'd have risked a disciplinary from work, rather than let someone die.
Is there no common sense left? Does everybody need to follow every instruction to the letter?

[TheOtherHalf]

Time is of the essence in cases like this. I would also have taken a disciplinary and at least I could have a clear concience. What would they have done if it had been one of their own children ?

[mumsie_wumsie]

Old-geezer, it doesn't say when it happened, but this story is at the result of the inquest.

[NOX]

Whilst I'm not surprised there is some daft rule about not entering water of a cxertain depth, I'm totally flabberghasted that they took any notice of it. I would personally have gone in and so would pretty much everyone I know, why are we degenerating into a country where no-one is equipped at school with the leadership qualities to think for their damned selves, and make radical decisions? We really need to buck our ideas up.

[Smowball]

I'd have jumped in and risked getting the sack! No way could I just stand and watch.

[bednobs]

i don't know how you can say you will not drown in 3 ft of water when the story is about precisely that!

[Zeuhl]

^^

L O L bednobs

[carrust]

Errr...the story's in the Daily Mail! I'd wait a week or so for them to make a correction to the article.....

[DTCwordfan]

You can drown in 3 inches of water, never mind 3 feet. However, this story does defy common-sense. It was also reported on Radio 4 this morning.....

[johne1892]

Hi OldGeezer, the story refers to the incident last March (there is a big section in the middle of the article explaining this)

I think it's worth pointing out that people should look at the picture also. It wasn't just a small puddle that was 3ft deep, it was in the middle of a lake.

I am trained in first aid BUT I am not a good swimmer, so although everyones initial instinct is to run in and help (why didn't anyone else?) I'm afraid I would had to have waited for assistance as it would do no good having 2 drowned people people in a lake.

[Brenden]

It brings it home when you read of a man crawling across a frozen pond in his underpants to save his beloved dog - stupid action, maybe, - but he did not think of health and safety.

[Baldric]

OG, story dates from March 2011

[Zeuhl]

<<Its like firemen not being allowed to enter a blazing building because its too hot. >>

Not really. Firefighters are trained to go into blazing buildings and that's the point.

As the water was more than ankle-deep the Paramedics were probably ordered to await the arrival of the nearest RNLI inshore rescue team and possibly a Police armed response unit in case there were any big fish in there.

Perhaps if one of the Paramedics had 'fallen in' accidentally on purpose they might have been able to grab the other person on their way out.

[Arksided]

OMG, For Funks Sake! that is a tragic story, there is no way Health and safety protocols would have stopped me saving a fellow Human being.

[sasskins]

I understand what you mean zeuhl, but surely not let a man die? Hopefully lessons can be taken and in future maybe some training for medics in situations like this.