Fire service preps for 'surge' in water rescues
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) says it's preparing for 'a surge in activity' by urging the public to stay safe around water
With a change in season promising to draw more people to Wales’ rivers, lakes and coastlines, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) says it's preparing for 'a surge in activity' by urging the public to stay safe around water.
The service says its message to the public is clear – 'stay back from the water’s edge, think twice before entering unfamiliar or fast‑moving water, and call 999 immediately if someone is in trouble'.
In the last 12 months, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has responded to 46 water‑related emergencies
Most of the emergencies have involved people already in the water or at immediate risk, particularly in fast‑moving rivers and tidal channels.
Ahead of the busy summer months, firefighters have been undertaking intensive training at Cardiff International White Water Centre, where controlled but highly challenging conditions allow crews to practise in flows of up to six cubic metres per second – the maximum safe working limit.
As the statutory authority for inland water rescue across the Service area, firefighters rely on these skills for a wide range of incidents, from people swept away in fast‑moving floodwater to children swimming in quarries and reservoirs, intoxicated individuals falling into rivers or canals, and vehicles trapped or partially submerged during flooding.
Understanding how different vehicles behave in water is also increasingly important. For example, electric vehicles can often travel through deeper water than petrol or diesel cars, which affects how crews approach rescues.
Watch Manager and Instructor, Peter Parks, highlights the value of the Olympic‑standard white water rafting centre:
“This facility is particularly fantastic for enabling us to work with trapped and submerged cars, an increasingly common scenario in South Wales with the recent influx of flooding.”