Submitted by Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
We’ve read several times on this blog about police reluctance to help drowning victims and even to prohibit family members from leaping into the water to save their loved ones (here) when authorities refuse to help. Seems the policy is now international. Scottish police stood idly by, keeping back onlookers, as a 37 year-old woman thrashed about in the water near Glasgow’s Albert Bridge and repeatedly called for help.
At that moment, three Glasgow University students, Graham McGrath, Rosie Lucey and Rhys Black were walking along the River Clyde and heard the pleas for help. Eschewing official policy, McCGarth and Lucey leapt into the river and pulled out the unidentified drowning woman. Black then waded in to the water and helped pull all three to safety. The three performed CPR until the woman was revived — all without the aid of local Strathclyde Police officers who gave more priority to crowd control.
Before the students arrived, onlookers had tried to throw floatation devices in the river, but to no avail. Moments before the rescue, the near-victim had slipped beneath the water. The actions of the three quick-thinking students clearly saved her life. Said McGrath, “There was a woman in the water shouting for help. There was somebody throwing lifebelts to her, but she couldn’t get to them …nobody was doing anything else ” Lucey added, “‘We realised we were watching someone drown.”
Particularly galling were the words of a police spokesman who sniffed, “‘It is not the responsibility of the police to go into the water – it’s the fire and rescue service.”
One wonders about the police officers responsibilities as human beings.
Source: Mail Online
~Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
anon nurse,
I’ll send you a great recipe.
@ Anonymously Yours
I am sorry for the distraction of using the blog for my personal publishing. I felt that I had no other options. I tried doing my own website but it was invisible to google. The New York Times and WSJ weren’t publishing my problem and the little coverage in Colorado was misleading and didn’t even interview me and included misrepresentations. But what they published I couldn’t get away from since they had major publishers and I have the unusual name so it was read by my neighbors, my relatives, my college friends, etc. etc. and really caused me problems at many levels. Since I was deprived a court hearing, I thought of blogging as service by publication. Also, some people I know said they thought I had a real actual possibility of being the victim of a contract killer so I figured that getting my story out could save our lives and that if we ended up dead someone would connect it.
http://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/2010/oct/25/kellogg-hearing-postponed/
Before blogs, though, I used to write letters to the editor all the time on a whole range of subjects.
Buddha,
lol Have to go with the “stupid” hat, too. Second choice would be the dunce cap…
Blouise,
Yep. Savin’ and patchin’… (Beam me a little ‘nog. Forgot it on Xmas eve and still don’t have any. It would sure taste good right now…)
Night, all…
Buckeye/Eniobob,
Do they still make those caps that say “I’m With Stupid” and the arrow pointing down?
That’s my vote for the Gov’s head gear if they do.
Kung Fu nurse,
Glad you caught the joke 🙂 Somehow I really dig the pic of you savin’ and patchin’
Mike Dunford,
Welcome aboard … get your feet wet!
Kay,
It’s ok kiddo … well, it’s not ok for you out there sometimes, but you are ok with us
eniobob,
Safe and sound, honey, safe and sound!
AY,
love ya like a brother.
Everybody else,
Fingers are tired … need eggnog
I vote for dunce cap.
Sorcerer’s Hat
Eniobob
Do you think a picture of Gov. Christie would be more likely to show him wearing Mickey Mouse Ears or a Sorcer’s hat?
So there’s another hero in this story (from the cache link supplied above):
Modest hero who dearly wished to be redundant
GEORGE Parsonage’s legendary heroism in saving people from the River Clyde in Glasgow was recognised when he was made an MBE by the Queen in 1999.
The art teacher had been helping his father Ben with river rescues since the age of 14.
However, when his father died 31 years ago, George found himself filling his father’s shoes when police called for his help, not knowing Ben had died.
Mr Parsonage took over as sole officer of the Glasgow Humane Society, which was established in 1790 as the first of many across the world as a reaction to religious censure of attempted suicides, which was considered a criminal act.
Mr Parsonage, 66, who lives at the Glasgow Green base of the society, where he was born, said he had lost count of the number of people he had saved from the river, which was estimated at 1,500 five years ago.
He was made an MBE for his “great physical strength, calm courage and mental alertness in emergency situations”.
On receiving the honour, he said: “I am one of the few people in this world who wish to be redundant.”
———-
So approx. 20-30 rescues a year — presumably, many of them suicide attempts. It’s still a lot of folks ending up in that river and needing to be rescued…
Kay,
I am offering this perspective as my own…you have some valid points to offer…however, when you like bdaman..hijack a thread for personal reasons it detracts from the remainder of the thread….then people or at least I, then learn to skim over what they have had to say, because its usually an welcomed diatribe in which I care nothing about…..remember I speak for myself only….I wish you the best…I wish you would learn to properly put into perspective what life has taught you and what you have to offer…best of luck in this new year….
eniobob,
Happy New Year! I’ll take a look at that link… It’s good that you had a safe trip. And December is now safely behind us…
=======
pete wrote:
“George Parsonage of the Glasgow Humane Society, who has rescued 1,500 people from the river, said the students’ actions had been ‘heroic’
1500 people out of one river???”
I thought the same thing, pete. That’s a lot of people, even if he’d been doing it for decades.
Mike Dunford:
Just to clarify — the “Kung Fu Nurse” comment was a joke related to something that was said in another thread yesterday. It wasn’t intended to be any sort of jab at you.
Having said this, given similar circumstances, I’d do what I could to help. It would be difficult to do nothing at all, especially given my background and training.
You said, “If the media accounts are only half right, it sounds like Glasgow’s first response system has some issues that need addressing.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Mike Dunford,
Fair enough. Thank you.
@LEO, BBB, Kung-Fu:
I’d probably have gone for the rescue myself under the same circumstances, but then I’m reasonably comfortable with my own rescue skills. If the cops at the scene aren’t comfortable with theirs, then not getting in is the right call.
That said, I’m really not trying to defend any other portion of their response or their training. If the media accounts are only half right, it sounds like Glasgow’s first response system has some issues that need addressing.
George Parsonage of the Glasgow Humane Society, who has rescued 1,500 people from the river, said the students’ actions had been ‘heroic’
1500 people out of one river???
Hello all on this second day of 2011,hope all went well in welcoming in the new year,just coming back from Reading Pa taking grandaughter back home.This what caught my eye:
“Particularly galling were the words of a police spokesman who sniffed, “‘It is not the responsibility of the police to go into the water – it’s the fire and rescue service.”
Substitue police spokesman and put in Governor Chris Christie,our pompus Governor is being raked over the coals for his response to the snow storm we just had.I’ll give you a link to what I think one of the opinion writers said about this.
His last words of the opinion are funny/true to no end I give it a big BINGO!!!
It was a tricky trip to the Magic Kingdom
Published: Sunday, January 02, 2011, 1:02 AM
Paul Mulshine/The Star Ledger By Paul Mulshine/The Star Ledger
http://blog.nj.com/njv_paul_mulshine/2011/01/it_was_a_tricky_trip_to_the_ma.html#_logout
Blouise,
As a past instructor and supervisor of lifeguards, I would “go for it” with gusto.
Motto: Live with just enough fear to try to keep yourself alive.
(lol re: your comment to mespo…)
Re Glasgow
It sounds like the police had a lot of manpower and the woman was not that far from shore. One thing though is that some rivers have a lot of undertow.
@rafflaw
Sorry that was completely unintentional.
@Blouise
Thank you. Part of what I am trying to do is test my arguments, and part is to somehow “prove” to the world that I am not stupid and irrational as was published. It is really difficult to prove that one is innocent.
@Former Federal LEO
Riding off into the sunset was a pre internet option. Before I ever blogged, my defendants went out of their way to put defamatory comments on the Internet which I could not escape because my name is unusual. They came up as the first item when there was a google search on my name. I moved 2000 miles to get away from the criminals in Steamboat Springs but they came after me with defamatory articles which were read by my neighbors in Wisconsin. I had an opportunity to become a commercial real estate agent but they ruined that. I have no idea how I could just walk away because there is no safe harbor option for me. In today’s world even minimum wage jobs are hard to get and I have no experience as a waitress etc and as a 56 year old woman few options in manual labor. Furthermore, my defendants have claimed that there is a federal judgment against me. It is irrelevant that they are making no effort to collect it because it stops me from signing a lease and is not dischargeable in bankruptcy. It would also stop me from getting Medicare or social security. I have been thinking about changing my name from what I was called for almost 30 years but that also presents problems. The name defamation issue is big for my family too. It is common for people to pursue actions to have dishonorable discharges reversed of people who are already dead just because it affects the family name and many state constitutions including Colorado recognize a right to a prompt court hearing on a defamation claim:
Section 6. Equality of justice. Courts of justice shall be open to every person, and a speedy remedy afforded for every injury to person, property or character; and right and justice should be administered without sale, denial or delay…. and in all suits and prosecutions for libel the truth thereof may be given in evidence, and the jury, under the direction of the court, shall determine the law and the fact.
I am no expert but I think that what the drowning woman was supposed to do was to lean back and float. Of course she was probably weighted down by her wet clothes.
A swimming dog such as a Newfoundland might be a good investment for the Glasgow police.
A lot of people drown from jumping out of small boats that aren’t equipped with a ladder screwed into the side. They are drunk and happy and don’t realize that they won’t be able to get back on the boat. You’d think that fishing boats should be required to have a ladder screwed into the side if the side of the boat is more than 18 inches or so. Boats are required to have lights and you can get a ticket from the boat police if you don’t have them even if it is daytime. Life preservers are also required by law.
Blouise,
I agree. I don’t think I could stand there and just watch. However, these guys are cops, not lifeguards.
I have successfully performed rescues, on two separate occasions, in Class IV whitewater on the Skykomish River (Washington). I know what it means to enter a dangerous situation, and I have seen the results when would-be heroes, with the best of intentions, refuse to accept their limitations and become victims themselves. If I were put in the same whitewater situation today, there is a good chance that I would not jump in. Not because I have any less compassion for my fellow man, but because I don’t have the same physical capabilities that I had back then. I don’t think I have the stamina to take care of myself and a victim.
We know nothing about the police officers on the scene that evening. Heroes they are not (at least not this time), but I don’t expect everyone to be a hero. Maybe that’s why we hold real heroes in such high esteem.
(geeze mespo … enough with the feel good stories … I see you chuckling in your chair)