The annual campaign to keep people safe on Lancaster’s waterways is underway.
Operation Bankside is a partnership with LASAR, Lancaster Area Search and Rescue, Lancashire Police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, jointly working to spread the water safety message in the Lancaster and Morecambe area.
The campaign sees water safety patrols operating along the River Lune between now and September, particularly during the summer months on days when high volumes of visitors are expected.
Launched in Spring 2020, Operation Bankside aim is primarily drowning prevention, in turn, easing pressures on already stretched, local emergency services.
On busy days in the height of summer, the areas between Crook o’ Lune, Denny Beck and Skerton Weir can attract as many as 5,000 visitors to the river bank at any one time. The role of LASAR to ensure that all of those visitors go home safely at the end of the day.
Since 2020, the initiative has seen more than 50 lifesaving interventions, and safety advice given to hundreds of others.
A spokesperson said: ‘’Ultimately Operation Bankside does not aim to stop people having fun, or to stop them enjoying the water. Our Rescue Team are on hand and available to issue water safety advice, to encourage the public to think about the dangers of the water and of course, should an incident arise, to provide the rescue service that we train for.
‘’On each Operation Bankside patrol, LASAR have a presence at all of the hotspots on the river between Crook o’ Lune and Skerton. Our Rescue Technicians are available to provide advice and assistance and carry basic rescue equipment, First Aid kits and communications equipment to allow them to request extra resources as required.
‘’In addition to this, we often have our Inshore Rescue Boats patrolling the river and Cycle Patrols covering the cycle track alongside the left river bank. By having a presence, providing safety advice and intervention as a last resort, we’re able to ensure river users remain safe and get to enjoy the beautiful countryside that surrounds our river banks.’’
You can find out more about the campaign and dates of the operation here
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