Here we go again - UK nanny state

[Happyman]

Police unable to save girl from icy river because of health and safety

A girl fighting for her life after a car she was travelling in plunged into an ice-cold river was not rescued for almost two hours because health and safety rules prevented police from entering the water.



By Richard Savill and Andy Bloxham
Published: 7:30AM GMT 13 Feb 2010

The vehicle, a silver Vauxhall Vectra estate, entered the water from a field at Boat Lane in Evesham at around 9.20am on Thursday Photo: PA


The five-year-old girl, her-six year-old brother and their father Chris Grady were in the car when it plunged into the river Avon in Evesham, Worcestershire, on Thursday morning.
Mr Grady and his son Ryan, managed to escape from the submerged car. They were helped clear by police officers on the riverbank.



However, Mr Grady’s daughter, Gabrielle, was trapped inside the vehicle for 97 minutes before the closest police dive team, based in the next county, could arrive. The divers then took a further 12 minutes to rescue her.
The officers already on the scene were prevented from diving in earlier to rescue her by police safety regulations.
The little girl remained in a critical state in hospital yesterday while her brother yesterday began to make a recovery.
He was well enough to sit up in bed and talk to family at his bedside.
West Mercia police admitted last night that safety regulations barred normal police officers from jumping into rivers to try to save people.
A police spokesman said the closest available police dive team was Avon and Somerset constabulary.
"Their team arrived within 97 minutes of the original request being made.
"Once they had arrived it took only a further 12 minutes to rescue the child from the submerged vehicle.
"At the time of the original request Avon and Somerset Dive Team were involved in an underwater search for a missing person in Gloucestershire.
"Police officers are not trained or equipped to enter rivers in order to rescue people.
"They are trained and equipped to make rescues from riverbanks.
"The risk involved in untrained and ill-equipped officers entering the water in these circumstances are generally too high to contemplate.
"The would-be rescuers can easily become casualties themselves."
The spokesman noted the dangerous conditions of the river with "strong undercurrents and low water temperatures" which induces rapid hypothermia.
The children were in a critical condition when they were rescued from the Avon in Evesham, Worcs, on Thursday and airlifted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
The children’s father was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and remained in custody last night.
Mr Grady, 41, was at the wheel of his silver Vauxhall Vectra, carrying his children, when it plunged into the Avon.
He went to the waterway in Evesham, Worcs, on Friday following a row with his former partner, the children’s mother.
Witnesses said the car "belted down" a narrow road and the children’s screams could be heard when the vehicle entered the water. The car was winched from the Avon yesterday (Fri) with the help of police divers. The girl’s pink bag was in the boot, and the boy’s Bart Simpson bag was on the back seat, along with a white blanket.
Residents in Evesham who knew Mr Grady, a welder, said he is a "doting" father, who takes his children for Sunday meals at a local carvery.
He had moved out of his bedsit at the back of a local salon Aria Hair last week, and is believed to have been staying with friends.
Rob Lewis, 53, who works next to Mr Grady’s workshop in Evesham, said the father had been trying to get better access to his children.
"He loved those kids," said Mr Lewis.
Mr Grady has three other children, aged between 16 and 20, by his former wife.
A member of staff at Aria Hair said: "He absolutely doted on his children. Whenever they were here all you could hear was laughter coming out of there. I know they used to play the board game Frustration, because we could hear it."
The family of the children’s mother was too upset to comment yesterday.





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FFS anybody would have had a go at getting them out !!


But - Health and safety rules let it happen !

[melvbot]

Its been on the news that she died in hospital.

[Happyman]

Very sad - Rip little one

[WujouMao]

yes, RIP.

as for the poxy H&S, if i was a copper, or hell, even a proper father, i'd jump in the river myself. i couldnt just sit back drinking coffee to warm my stomach while a poor girl is dying. They can fire me after rescuing [or failed rescue]

heard the father tried to kill them all anyway. no wonder he didnt jump in to save her, bastard

[ItsRobsLife]

What's the source of the story? News Of The World perhaps?

[melvbot]

A girl who was inside a car being driven by her father which plunged into a river in Worcestershire has died.

Gabrielle Grady, known as Gabby, five, died in Birmingham Children's Hospital, West Mercia Police said.

Chris Grady, 41, and Gabby's brother Ryan, six, escaped from the car. Gabby was trapped in the River Avon for two hours on Thursday before being rescued.
Mr Grady, 41, has been charged with attempted murder. Police said it was now a murder investigation.

A police spokesman said Gabby was surrounded by her family when she died.
She had been in a critical condition since being admitted to hospital.
Det Supt Steve Cullen, from West Mercia Police, said: "We are very sad to hear this terrible news and all our thoughts are with Gabby's family at this difficult time."
School 'shocked'

Ryan remained in hospital but his condition was improving, police said. On Friday, he was said to be sitting up in bed and talking.
The silver Vauxhall Vectra went into the river at Boat Lane in Hampton Ferry, near Evesham, on Thursday morning.
West Mercia Police had to call in divers from the neighbouring Avon & Somerset force to carry out the rescue. The divers travelled from Gloucester and arrived after 97 minutes.
Once there, they took 12 minutes to free Gabrielle from the submerged silver Vauxhall Estate car.
West Mercia Police said its own officers could not carry out a rescue because of the risk that would have posed to them.
Ambulance crews worked to resuscitate Gabby on the riverbank before she was taken to hospital.
She attended Swan Lane First School in Evesham. On Friday head teacher Graham Walker said the school community had been "shocked and saddened" by the events.
Mr Grady, of no fixed address, appeared before magistrates in Worcester on Saturday.
He was remanded in custody and is set to appear at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday.
Witnesses have described how they saw the car driving fast through a field before hitting the water with "an almighty bang".
BBC News - River Avon car plunge girl loses fight for life

[BobR]

Most police officers I knew in the West have to be more concerned about not doing anything to get themselves fired, indicted or killed than protecting the public. That's the system we have created. Too bad none of them said to hell with the rules and saved this poor child.

[ItsRobsLife]

I wonder what the water temperature and air temperature was, how deep and how fast flowing the water was, I can't see police just standing by for the sake of regulations, it must surely have been a risk to life to have entered the water or from the after effects of hypothermia.

[benbaaa]

My brother-in-law's a cop, and I know exactly what he'd have done. He'd have said fuck the rules and jumped in.

[Chairman Mao]

Why didn't the father, or any members of the public dive in?

I (presumably like 95% of the public) would of been in there like a shot.

[Jesus Jones]

Why didn't the father, or any members of the public dive in?

I (presumably like 95% of the public) would of been in there like a shot.

95%, what utter bollox. Maybe you and I are of the 5% that would.

[Davis Knowlton]

I simply can't fathom how trained law enforcement personnel could stand on the river bank and watch a kid drown and freeze to death for over an hour and a half. If there is a strong current, you rope yourself off before you go in. Remember the guy who went into the frozen river in DC some 20 or 30 years ago when the Air Florida plane crashed right next to the 14th Street bridge. He had to break the ice to get in, and just took off his shoes and went for it - and saved a life. This is very hard to understand. RIP little girl.

[Mr R Sole]

^^^^ Agreed, the same thing my father would've done....WTF is going on in the UK??

The incident does sound extremely shady, especially regarding the events leading up to the car plunging into the river...Eye witnesses state that the car was being driven through a 'field' !! at high speed..then flew in to the river....that alone sounds very suss.

If the river had been flowing very quickly or the temperature of the water extremely cold, then the officers would've had to assess the situation for a little bit, maybe got some rope quickly to harness themselves to each other then attempted a rescue...but to do nothing???? Odd even for the state of things in the west now...can't do this can't do that crap.

Very sad..The police have been rather quiet on this...so I suspect they are building a case against the father should the eye witness statements be correct.
Even if he had lost his brakes, turning away from the river is what any normal logical person would've done, even used the cars gears to slow it down..the handbrake even..anything...

Again, very sad and strange....the man did sound a bit odd from the above reports...

[BugginOut]

I would gladly die trying to save my little girl.

[crippen]

You have no idea how bad it has got back there. Recently,they put coppers back on cycles,and they had to go on a training course to teach them how to ride!!

[Ningi]

I simply can't fathom how trained law enforcement personnel could stand on the river bank and watch a kid drown and freeze to death for over an hour and a half. If there is a strong current, you rope yourself off before you go in. Remember the guy who went into the frozen river in DC some 20 or 30 years ago when the Air Florida plane crashed right next to the 14th Street bridge. He had to break the ice to get in, and just took off his shoes and went for it - and saved a life. This is very hard to understand. RIP little girl.

Straight facts first, the car was driven into the river deliberately!the driver left the child to try and get out on her own, secondly the police must of been thinkingabout their 2 colleages who disobeyed health and safety regs by jumping into a stormy sea in blackpool to rescue a pensioner whose dog had been washed away and had jumped in to rescue it, 1 policeman lost his life he left a wifeand 2 children the police refused to pay her a widows pension, the other policeman was sacked , he had a 19 year exemplary record, he lost everything too,all you have a go hero.s its easy for you to criticisetry walking a mile in their shoes!!

[Davis Knowlton]

^I don't care whether Daddy drove the car into the river or not - it is irrelevant. I don't care if Daddy was trying to kill himself, or the whole family - it is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the cops stood on the river bank for 97 minutes watching a child die. If the regulations don't allow them to intervene, then I, for one, would be looking for a different job. Anyone who stands on a river bank and watches a child die because they are worried about their pension is a piece of shit coward. Period.

[Happyman]

^
Absolutely!

An extract from the oath that police recruits make upon joining - Duties- 'prevention of crime, protecting and assisting the public ' etc etc (Wiki)

[Happyman]

The H & S regulations f*ck up again !!

Safety guidelines 'stopped police from saving drunk man killed on motorway'



By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 10:36 PM on 29th January 2010


A man was run over and killed on a motorway because police regulations prevented two officers stopping to help him, an inquest heard yesterday.
Lee Fairbrother had been drinking when he was seen by a passing police patrol stumbling down an unlit motorway embankment in the early hours of the morning.
But the officers did not stop to pick up the 26-year-old because they did not have the right training or equipment.


Lee Fairbrother died after being hit by cars on the motorway

Mr Fairbrother, 26, was spotted on the southbound M57 in Liverpool after he had been drinking with friends and ingesting a cocktail of cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis on July 16, 2007.
But the officers decided not to stop as they passed him because they were not trained to deal with motorway incidents and regulations prevented them.
Instead, they radioed in to the control room at 00.19 and asked for a motorway patrol to be deployed to the spot near Aintree.
But 'crucially' the officer reporting Mr Fairbrother provided inaccurate information - saying he was near junction one.
The car hire worker was actually at the opposite end of the 14-mile M57, close to junction seven.
To make matters worse, the control room operator rated the call as Grade 3, 'any other police response', then downgraded it to Grade 4, passing it to the Highways Agency.
Today, the coroner for Sefton, Christopher Sumner, said the request for a patrol vehicle was 'effectively ignored' and also wrote to the local chief constable asking him to reconsider the regulations.
Highways Agency officers - who are not allowed to exceed the speed limit in an emergency - were called in from Newton-le-Willows, 15 minutes away.
When they arrived, nearly 40 minutes after the first call to police, Mr Fairbrother, who was two and a half times over the driving limit, was dead.
He had been knocked down by a Volkswagen and driven over by a Renault Clio.
Highways Agency officers Clive Sims and David Taylor had arrived just one or two minutes too late, the coroner said.
The pair had been to the wrong location which was originally called in by the officers who decided not to stop.
Mr Sumner said: 'Whilst both commendable and a necessity, this detour inevitably led to a delay in the patrol attending at the scene of the incident.'
Mr Fairbrother, from Fazakerley, Liverpool, had crossed over the motorway and was walking back north in the middle lane of the carriageway when he was hit. He died from multiple injuries.
The coroner said: 'At all times whilst he was on the hard shoulder and carriageway of the motorway, Mr Fairbrother put his own life and the lives of other road users in immediate danger.'
Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Sumner said he would write to the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police asking for his urgent consideration of events leading up to Mr Fairbrother's death.
The deceased's mother, June Fairbrother, declined to comment as she left Bootle Town Hall.
Chief Inspector Chris Markey said: 'Merseyside Police notes the verdict of today's inquest and I want to take the opportunity again to extend our sympathy to Lee Fairbrother's family and friends.
'Motorways can be a dangerous and difficult environment to police. It is because of these reasons that only trained and specifically equipped roads policing officers are deployed to incidents on the network, a practice that is also adopted in most forces in the UK.
'Since this tragic incident some changes have been made and the motorway is now patrolled by North West Motorway Police Group, a collaborative arrangement that sees motorway officers from Merseyside, Lancashire, Cheshire and our partners in the Highways Agency coming together to deal with incidents.
'In late 2009, The Highways Agency embarked on programme of education with local radio stations to highlight the dangers of pedestrians using the motorway.'

[Davis Knowlton]

Mind-boggling!

[Happyman]

If they didn't have the 'right training' to deal with incidents on the motorway then WTF were they driving down it for ????

[Davis Knowlton]

^On their way to the donut shop?

[SiLeakHunt]

^
'prevention of crime, protecting and assisting the public ' etc etc (Wiki)

Assisting themselves to the coffers we fill up with our income tax !

[astasinim]

Jeysus christ. It seems some of the armchair experts are at it again. Its alright saying you would have done this, and you would have done that. Fact is, most of you would have done fok all. I understand its the emotion of the story, bringing out the hero in some of you. Most would have looked at the coppers, asked why they werent going in, and said well if they aint, then I aint either.

If there is a strong current, you rope yourself off before you go in.

NO YOU DONT
Its exactly that thinking, that creates more casualties. So me a favour Davis. If you find yourself in that position, then dont be a have a go hero. Unless you want to die of course. Thus creating more life threatening work for emergency services.

Im wondering why the fire service wasnt called? Maybe they're not water rescue trained, I dunno. I know they would have turned up in my county. However, someone trapped under water is a difficult one without diving gear.

[Davis Knowlton]

Have to disagree Asta. I've been in a lot of fast currents and if you rope yourself in upstream, and have somebody on the rope to help out, you can sweep right down to your target area. And I'm not a hero, but neither am I a police officer who has sworn to do the job of protecting and assisting the public when their lives are at risk. And, I have been a rescue diver for more than twenty years, albeit with the majority of my experience in open ocean vice rivers. The water couldn't have been that freezing, the child was still alive 97 minutes later when they finally got her out. And the current couldn't have been that much of a factor, as she was in the car, and not drifting free in the water. Sure, there were a lot of factors to consider, but it seems to me that in the 97 minute period in which they watched, somebody should/could have come up with some kind of rescue attempt.