Fire crews were called out to a water rescue in Stoke Bardolph this morning (Dec 4)..
Crews from Carlton, London Road and Highfields were called out to rescue a river cruiser precariously moored on the riverbank taking on water.
A spokesman for Notts Fire & Rescue service said: “The river cruiser is very old, and requires repairs to make it suitable to remain on the water. This river cruiser, however, is accommodation for somebody which is why it made the rescue even more significant, as there was a risk to life.
The operation involved turning the cruiser around in difficult river flow conditions, then leading it to safety outside a local pub, the Ferry Boat Inn.
The spokesman added:”Our Prevention team attended the incident, and we have worked with Gedling Borough Neighbourhood Watch, Gedling Borough Council and City of Nottingham housing team with this incident.
“The Ferry Boat Inn opened their doors to help support a vulnerable person and to allow crews to complete a debrief.
“Additionally, a Facebook funding page has been set up within the local community to help support the person with diesel, food, clothing and to help towards the cost of repairing the cruiser.
District Manager, Craig Day, said: “I want to thank our crews for their efforts with this incident, they did a great job however in the context of a global pandemic, it is fantastic to see the community spirit alive and supporting someone in need.
“We want to remind the public how dangerous water can be, especially during this time of year as the water will be extremely cold and can very quickly turn into a tragic incident.
“If you ever find yourself struggling in water we want you to remember to try to stay calm, lie on your back and call for help once you have got your breathing under control.
“If you see someone that seems to be in trouble in water, call the emergency services as soon as possible so that we can respond as quickly as possible. Any information you can provide about the person and their location will support our rescue efforts”.
Shame the bloke ain’t polite damaged his boat crashing into others and never apologise asweel as being very aggressive to canal and river trust volenteers