by John Foster
The
publication, on this website, of the article that I wrote almost 12 months ago
got me thinking.
Whilst
the events of that day were amusing at the time for those watching (although
certainly not for the main protagonists) they show how potentially dangerous our
hobby, and similar ones, can be.
It
seems to me that we can all learn some lessons :-
We
all become over-familiar with our surroundings. One of the attractions of
birdwatching is that most of the time everything is peaceful, apart from the
blood and gore of nature in the raw as we watch - fascinated. But potential
danger is around us.
It
does not bear thinking about what could have happened if we had not come
along when we did. What would have happened if our victim had not been able
to scramble up onto the island when he found himself out of his depth. As it
was he was soaked to the skin and the weather was not that warm -
Hyperthermia was a distinct possibility. If he had collapsed on that island
it is possible that he may not have been seen for some considerable time …
The
events proved costly for the victim who lost his mobile phone and camera to
the waters of Back Saltholme. The mobile phone, a wise precaution, could
have brought rescue but not from the bottom of the pool.
So,
preferably don’t venture out alone and always make sure someone knows
where you are going. These are standard warnings issued to fell walkers,
climbers and the like. But you tend not to think about them in the context
of a day’s birding at Teesmouth.
A
patch of water can look innocuous but can be lethal – it doesn’t have to
be obviously dangerous like a heavy sea, a swollen river or a still quarry
pool. Back Saltholme is a good example. The water looks inviting, it’s
‘flat as a mill-pond’ and there’s a nice little island in the middle.
But, it seems the island was made by dredging a moat and using the dredged
material to create the island. In other words there is an unseen deep
channel all around the island, hence the victim’s problem.
It
is not worth risking life and limb (either your own or your rescuers) in
order to protect a wild creature (unless it’s a Lesser Crested Silebile).
The
Fire and Rescue Service took the matter extremely seriously as evidenced by the
manpower and vehicles involved and a big vote of thanks goes to them for their
promptness, skill and professionalism. Also I understand that, following these
events, they carried out some training on and around the Saltholme Pools in
order to ensure they were prepared for any future eventuality (although
hopefully our victim won’t be doing it again!).
To
sum up – think like the Boy Scouts “Be Prepared” - and enjoy our hobby -
safely.
And,
if you can’t be safe, take a leaf from the book of our victim. Be prepared to
come up smiling and be ready for the ribbing your likely to get from your
friends and colleagues.
John Foster