Wiltshire firefighters train for water rescues (From This Is Wiltshire)

Wiltshire firefighters train for water rescues

10:15am Thursday 4th December 2008

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On a freezing November night, I joined firefighters as they braved icy waters to carry out a rescue operation on a lake in South Cerney.

More than 30 firefighters from four Wiltshire fire stations were involved in the mission but on this occasion it was strictly for training purposes.

But Chippenham watch manager Steve Lodge, 45, knows only too well the next time his crew is called into action it could be for real.

In July last year, the Chippenham station became a fully fledged water rescue centre when it was equipped with a Pioneer multi-rescue boat.

Almost immediately it was put into action as terrible flooding hit Gloucestershire and crews from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service were called out to help.

But on the banks of the South Cerney lake firefighters from Chippenham, Cricklade, Malmesbury and Stratton were being put through their paces.

Mr Lodge, a member of the fire service for 18 years, said the South Cerney lake was ideal for the exercise.

“This particular lake has an island about 200 yards out, so in this scenario, we are pretending the island is a farm which has been flooded.

“The two casualties in the lake will have come to get help from the flooded farm and they will then tell the crews that there are people on the farm that need help. They will then be rescued by the Pioneer boat.”

Crew manager Rob Evans said: “It is easy to see how this scenario could happen because it is so hard to judge distances in the dark, it can be very deceptive.

“People who try to get help in flood waters will get very cold and then the hypothermia will start to kick in.”

I watched as Chippenham firefighters Rob Warwick, 42, and Charlie Afelele, 49, were rescued by Cricklade crews who had arrived first on the scene.

Mr Warwick explained: “Every firefighter is trained to work safely near water but not every firefighter is trained to actually get in the water, so the first crew that arrives will not necessarily get in the lake.”

As the Cricklade crew began preparing to rescue the pair from the freezing waters, the night’s silence was interrupted by their cries for help.

When he eventually hit dry land, Mr Warwick said: “The water was very cold so I was glad to see the first appliance arrive. I had four layers of clothing on as well as the protective gear like the dry suit, and I was still freezing.

“The crews gave me confidence in their ability to rescue me even though I was only a short distance from the shore.”

While Mr Afelele continued to call for help from the Malmesbury and Stratton crews, I engaged in some light-hearted chat with the guys from Cricklade once they finished their bank rescue, which revolved around some of the best pubs and clubs to hit on a night out in Swindon. It seems almost impossible to imagine how they can fit socialising into such a hectic schedule. Firefighter Jason Smith said: “I work as a mechanic full time, but I had the afternoon off today, so met up with some mates, before coming here.

“I’m a retained firefighter so this isn’t my full-time job. Sometimes we can get calls in the night, but if we’re not needed we get a good night’s sleep.”

After the two men had been carried safely on to dry land, the rescue boat was used to carry out a routine block search of the lake to ensure there were no further casualties.

Once complete, Mr Lodge gave a de-briefing to crews and said he was delighted with how well the training practice unfolded.

“The session went exactly as we expected it to, it was a great success,” he said.

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