Dramatic rise in drunk drowning

A REPORT has been released that 10 men drowned in the waterways in the first four months of this year after drinking. A dramatic increase on the previous year.

The report by the Missing People's charity has shown that there has been a dramatic increase in deaths from drowning as the result of men binge drinking and the like, resulting in them being incapable of looking after their own welfare.

Compares unfavourably

This compares very unfavourably with the fact that 12 men died in similar circumstances in the whole of last year.

The report points out that the 10 who died as a result of drowning were all last seen leaving a nightclub, bar or pub, 'worse for wear', and a third of the men were between the ages of 18 and 35 years.

The charity wants new technology to be used so victims of canal and river tragedies can be found and identified sooner, but this would mean everyone carrying some sort of device showing where they were, but there would surely be resistance from men who would not admit  to their state.

Search for bodies

Devices like water scanners too were reported upon, with the suggestion that the emergency services could carry such devices to enable the search for bodies.  This idea was raised as only too often it is days before bodies are discovered in water.

It is accepted that the so often called for fencing-off of the waterways would not be practical, as such fencing would only encourage men in a drunken state to attempt to climb, so posing greater risk.