A MAN has slammed the “information overload” on instructions for safety equipment at the River Thames, concerned it could delay a life-saving rescue.
Rodney Evans stumbled upon the emergency throwbag, kept under lock and key, and its instruction board in Radnor Park in Twickenham, south-west London yesterday.
The board attempts to explain how to use the throwbag – which involves phoning 999 and being referred to an appropriate individual – but is both convoluted and surrounded by various warnings, which are more prominent than the instructions.
The throwbag itself is secured in a box requiring a keypad code to access it, presumably to prevent vandalism or theft.
The 49-year-old teacher accepts the security measures but believes the confusing instructions could risk somebody’s life.
Throwbags are rescue devices, thrown into water to allow people on the shore to reach somebody in difficulty without risking their own safety.
They are situated at various locations along the river in the borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, installed by the borough council and the London Fire Brigade.
The green sign features a red banner across the top reading: “Emergency throwbag.
“Do not interfere with life-saving equipment – a life may depend on it.”
A bright yellow box in the centre contains the throwbag, with a silver keypad on the front.
The board is packed with information, with the all-important instructions listed on the right-hand side in small font.
An image underneath fails to explain them any further.
Before anybody can even access the throwbag, they have to call 999 and ask for the coastguard to receive a code to unlock it.
It is incredibly unclear where to look first, which is not helped by the warnings crowding the sign, which repeatedly advise not to enter the water.
This is supposedly to prevent cold water shock or rescuers endangering their own lives, but only succeed in distracting the eye.
Rodney’s post was shared to social media yesterday with the caption: “Horribly complex way to help someone drowning in the River Thames (London).
“Better hope you have a phone and understand English well.”
It has since received over 590 likes and more than 570 comments from social media users keen to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “Unfortunately some humans can’t be trusted to not f**k with it when they don’t need to be.
“In the event that it is needed and isn’t there someone could end up dead because of the irresponsible actions of some immature plebs who can’t keep their hands off of things they shouldn’t be touching.”
Another agreed: “For f**k’s sake. Is this what society has come to? Having to put lifesaving equipment in a lock box so it isn’t vandalised or stolen?”
A third said: “Yeah, the cost of replacing these every so often when they’re stolen is a lot lower than the cost of a human life.”
Another commented: “I’m a native English speaker with a graduate degree and someone would drown before I read and digested all that.
“I also spend a lot of time on the water and have had to deploy emergency lifesaving measures several times. This is unnecessarily complex.”
A fifth added: “And battery, and signal, and that the operator isn’t busy on another call…”
Speaking today, Rodney said: “I do understand that, sadly, there is a need to prevent vandals stealing or wrecking this safety equipment, just that the information overload on the sign would cause potential disastrous delays if someone was drowning.”
