Recent Achievements
The cyclepath/towpath between Rutherglen and Dalmarnock Bridges has been opened to the public again weeks ahead of schedule.
Tony George and Lifeguard Ben spent time yesterday with workmen from Maclays marking the positions for the lifebelt posts that are being erected.
The lifebelts positions are being marked by GPS and should assist emergency services reaching an incident speedily and accurately.
A new vertical bar railing has replaced the old horizontal bar climbing frame. Unfortunately the sides of the towpath are still covered with hogweed and persons will have to be careful that they do not come into contact with it.
Much work has still to be done for example railings at Shore Street with the removal of the boom barrier at that locus, the enhancement of the area around the boom gate at Cotton Street and the signage for the lifebelt stances.
On Saturday 19th June Officer Coia deposited Officer Parsonage and Lifeguard McKay at Boggleshole Ford with a Canadian Canoe. Mark and George came down through the hurts immediately below this locus, enabling Mark to take photos from below of the new girders of the M74 extension spanning the river.
On route downstream we also observed that the south bank of the river has been modified to encompass the motorway and a new outflow that we had not been informed of also on the south bank.
We passed several groups of fishermen, most of them with no buoyancy aids or lifejackets on, and all with carry-outs.
Collisions between boats on the river have been prevented by our vigilance, an injured seagull has been rescued and sent to Hessilhead (wearing a Glasgow Community Safety Services jacket), lifebelts have as usual been retrieved and returned and many footballs and other potentially dangerous items removed.
George with LG Ben went down to the area of banking just upstream of the tidal weir on the north bank and removed a number of self seeded trees and bushes next to the fencing. These trees and bushes assist persons to climb onto the fencing and also block the view of CCTV. This is all the more necessary in view of there being several large events coming up in the Park.
You may have noticed in the press in the past week that Officer George rescued a woman from the River Clyde. We are glad to report that the woman is doing fine.
Sunday 25th April
Tony and I had just returned from a search downstream to Erskine when we were informed by Police Officers that a 10yr old boy was missing in the Glasgow Green area.
Tony and I immediately launched, one going upstream, one going downstream. Lifeguards Riverwatchers and the weirman were contacted to keep a lookout along with members of rowing clubs and general public walking, cycling or running along the towpath.
The boy was located safe and well a short time later on the south side. I thank all the persons who gave assistance in this matter and assure you that your help was greatly appreciated.
George Parsonage
Erskine Searches
Recently Officers and lifeguards have been involved in searching the River Clyde at Erskine for missing persons. A Clydeport Harbour Master Launch had been put at the Society’s disposal and regular searches carried out as far downriver as 1 mile past Bowling.
These searches have recently been concluded which hopefully has brought closure to the families concerned.
The Clydeport Paddle this year took the form of an intensive search of the river by GHS personnel for the three missing people.
5 GHS craft, bank patrollers and a Port Authority launch combed the river and riverbank between City Centre and Bowling.
Although the search had a negative result, it was an excellent training outing for all concerned, from the yellow high viz vests, to the use of a whistle system for communication.
Our thanks to all who took part.
Further to the rescue of the Goose (great photo) we have received a donation of another goose from a farm in Ayrshire. This goose was instantly accepted into the flock by the others and has been named Tobermory due to its melodious honking (don’t ask)
Animal Rescue
Glasgow Humane Society and Land & Environmental Services working together
The Glasgow Humane Society has always worked in partnership with outside agencies.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the recently drawn up agreement with Glasgow City Council Land and Environmental Services.
The work carried out by the Society for the “Highways Dept” “Roads Dept” “City Engineers Dept” since the Society was established, has been acknowledged and formalised.
We are working hard in this continued partnership carrying out tasks like removing waterway debris, inspection, reporting and ensuring maintenance of safety features.
Recently we took Engineers out on the water for several days commencing at 0700hrs carrying out inspections of Quay walls, Bridges, etc throughout the City.
Partnerships exist also between Development and Regeneration Services, Emergency Planning, Culture and Sport, Clydeport, Clyde Gateway and others.
Visits to the GHS
The Society for the first time had a public visit by the winners of a charity competition.
David and Pat Prentice took part in a raffle for Burnbank Home with the star prize a visit to the GHS and a trip on the river.
Pat and David were given a tour of the Lifeboat Station, Lifeguard Portacabin, Museum & Art Gallery along with a historical insight into the work of the GHS.
A sail on the river with the Officers allowed them to show some of the great work carried out on a daily basis helping to serve Glasgow's Waterways.
Thanks goes to David & Pat for the gratefully received letter & donation.
25th June 2009
About 1930hrs Tony had just left to go home having been working since 0600hrs, George was getting ready to have his evening meal, when the phone rang and rowing coach Mike Foster informed George that there was a man swimming in the river at the blue fence (2 mile upstream beside the Dalmarnock Sewage Works).
The man was obviously struggling and Mike thought he would not last long. George raced for the launch shouting at his son Ben to contact Tony and ask Tony to meet at the blue fence.
As George was starting the launch, a rowing four arrived having raced downriver to tell him of the man (belt and braces). George sped upriver using blue light and siren due to there being many rowers and scullers out practicing on the water.
All behaved impeccably and in less than 2 minutes George was beside the man in the water. He was upstream of the blue fence at a point where there is a steep bank and a depth of water right at the edge of some 5 metres. A lifebelt had been thrown beside the man but he had not taken it but was hanging onto tree branches.
A sculler, Andrew McConnell, was sitting nearby in his (very flimsy racing) boat to see if he could assist. Mike and a man who had been fishing were on the banking talking to the man who answered to Liam.
George lifted him with difficulty into the boat as not only was the man holding onto the branches in a tight hypothermic grip, but he also had his legs wrapped round the underwater branches of the tree. The man was very stiff (also incoherent) due to hypothermia and could not really give any self assistance.
Once in the boat George ensured the man was not in too immediate danger and said that he would take the man to the GHS wharfage and Mike arranged for the Ambulance to rendezvous there. There was also a very important point that landing at or near that locus would not have been easy, neither would it have been easy to get the Ambulance close to the scene.
After making the man as comfortable as possible, another race downriver through the (still sitting still) racing craft now escorted by Tony who had arrived in another launch accompanied by a local Riverwatcher, we only know as John.
Arriving at the wharfage the three of us placed the man on one of our stretchers and brought him ashore to a position where we could more easily attend him. George contacted the Duty Officer to ensure that the ambulance knew where to attend.
The man was wrapped in blankets, a pillow placed under his head and we all took turns to keep him talking. (Dr) Stephanie (George’s wife) arrived and assisted with the care of the man. Assistance was also received from Coach Ricky Walsh who arrived by car (special thanks for his assistance to George who had damaged his shin while lifting the man into the boat).
Police arrived and George went up to the top of the brae to ask various people to keep a lookout for the Ambulance. A Fire and Rescue vehicle arrived and George was just requesting the driver to go and see if he could assist directing the Ambulance into the Park when the Ambulance and Paramedic on motorbike arrived.
After examination, the man was taken into the Ambulance and then to the GRI.
We subsequently found out that Mike had immediately dialled 999 but the Coastguard to whom he was directed, did not know the locus and did not know the GHS phone number as Mike had requested they contact us. Mike said that he would phone us himself as he realised that he had Georges number in his mobile.
Thanks must go to all involved, to Mike Foster, to Andrew McConnell, Ricky Walsh, the fisherman, the rowers who raced down to tell us, the rowers and scullers who behaved so well and coped so adequately with the wash, to John, to Stephanie, Ben the Ambulance personnel and last but not least to the emergency services for their usual impeccable administration of the situation.
George subsequently contacted Coastguard Estuary Control and gave them his home number and both his and Tony’s mobile numbers as additional resources.
Medics say that they reckoned the man would not have lasted much longer than 5 more minutes in the cold water.
24th May 2009
On Sunday 24th May Tony and George along with Lifeguards Mark McKay and Mark Craig joined the paddlers for the Annual Clydeport Paddle.
The weather was overcast with a fair headwind making the paddle quite onerous.
A photographic record was made of the new bridge, new quay wall ladders, lifebelt positions, new railings and other safety features. Footballs and lifebelts (returned to stances) were lifted and a handbag and jacket located and removed. An inspection of the River Kelvin as far upriver as the waterfall at the Kelvin Hall was made and photographs taken to be passed on to the relevant authorities.
Lifeguard Ian Sinclair met us at Erskine and took a “team” photograph.
While at Erskine, George and Tony handed in to Erskine Hospital, the wheelchair found at Glasgow Green some weeks ago.
This was a good day’s workout for the “corp.”
The day started at 0800hrs with the preparation of canoes, ropes, lifebelts, buoyancy aids etc. At 1000hrs George and Tony drove their cars to Erskine to be left there to bring the canoes back to Glasgow Green.
Mark Craig met George and Tony at Erskine and brought them back to the wharfage. The day finished at 1800hrs when the canoes and equipment were unloaded at the Green.