Vehicles and people in the canals

Published: Monday, 11 January 2010

BOTH  vehicles and people are falling into the canals, not giving enough respect for the frozen conditions.

A Land Rover Discovery ended up in the Rochdale Canal at Todmorden, with the driver only just managing to get out as his vehicle slowly slid down the embankment.  A towpath walker alerted the police, but he was found safe at home

It was a Ford Fiesta that landed in the Staffs & Worcs Canal having gone rather too quickly into a canalside car park at Kidderminster and being unable to stop. The driver and his passenger became rather wet whilst the two back seat passenger opened the back doors and reached the bank.

Two died

Four men took a risk and went onto the frozen surface of a lake at Watermead Park by the Grand Union Canal above Leicester, but alas only two lived to tell the tale.

The thin ice gave way, and though the two nearest the bank were helped out the other two died in the freezing water.

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

It was office worker Sara Larnyoh who heard a yell, looked out of her window and saw a man who had slipped into the ice-covered Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Leeds.

She called for help and  rushed out, and managed to get hold of the man's hand, holding on until someone helped her drag the man out, and  being saturated and in shock, was taken to Leeds General Infirmary by ambulance.

Many are believing that the ice on canals is safe, which it most certainly is not, with Graham Smith's photograph showing lads who were walking on the ice, outside Otherton Marina but reluctantly took his advice and moved off

Tried to cross canal

A man actually attempted to walk across the frozen Grand Union Canal at Hemel Hempstead, and it gave way, with it being sheer luck that there was a moored narrowboat that he could just reach to pull himself out.

Three fire crews arrived at the bankside of the Avon at St. Anne's in Bristol after a woman was seen falling into the river and disappearing.

The fire crews searched the area, together with an inflatable rescue boat team, and the woman was found clinging to a branch further downstream. Having been in the water around 15 minutes she was taken to hospital.

There have been reports of boaters falling into the frozen canals, but no fatalities.  One on the Wyrley & Essington Canal on Me and Er was trying to reverse his boat standing by the side of his tiller when the rudder was swung over by the ice and he was knocked into the water by the tiller.

Animals

Animals too are becoming the victims of the frozen conditions, scampering across frozen canals, with more than one falling through the thin covering. One was reported to have died, being too exhausted to pull itself free.  But people are actually throwing sticks onto the frozen canals for their dogs to retrieve, being too stupid to realise the danger to their animals.