Nasty incident involving school rowers and their coach at Shiplake..

Please forgive my lack of knowledge about this, but how deep/high is that weir, and how does the 'coloured board' system work? (I've heard of red ones before, and I assume that, with green ones as well they form a sort of 'traffic-light' warning system for the level of danger in navigating a particular section of the river.)

Mike
 
Wooden Boat Fittings said:
Please forgive my lack of knowledge about this, but how deep/high is that weir, and how does the 'coloured board' system work? (I've heard of red ones before, and I assume that, with green ones as well they form a sort of 'traffic-light' warning system for the level of danger in navigating a particular section of the river.)

Mike
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Basically :-

Red = Danger
Yellow = Caution
Green = Safe

On the yellow boards the Rowers were essentially quite safe. I suspect the Cox left turning the boat until too close to the Weir causing the craft to be swept down before he had completed the turn. The Chase Boat went in to help them and tow them off the safety lines and himself got into trouble.
I have in the past towed boats off the safety lines myself and whilst not a difficult task it does take a modicum of seamanship.
 
From the Environment Agency's River Conditions Website (http://riverconditions.environment-agency.gov.uk/) about stream warning boards:-

RED - Caution strong stream
We advise users of all boats not to navigate because the strong flows make it difficult and dangerous.

YELLOW - Caution stream increasing
We advise users of all unpowered boats not to navigate and users of powered boats to find a safe mooring. This is because river flows are likely to strengthen and red boards could be displayed very soon and without warning.

YELLOW - Caution stream decreasing
We advise users of all unpowered boats not to navigate and users of powered boats to navigate with caution.

There are no green boards, the absence of red/yellow warning boards is taken to mean river conditions are normal.

So according to the EA, if yellow boards were out in that section, no rowers should venture out onto that section of the river.
 
Richard Shead said:
Why did they have to go that far down? they can turn way upstream of the weir? then again I was not there..
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It's a bit narrow there (as I'm sure you know) and looks shallow on the college side, but the weir is offset with quite a wide pool making turning easier - provided, of course, there's no pull from the weir.....

There is still a lot of water coming down (upstream there still some Reds).
 
byron said:
Basically :-

Red = Danger
Yellow = Caution
Green = Safe

On the yellow boards the Rowers were essentially quite safe. I suspect the Cox left turning the boat until too close to the Weir causing the craft to be swept down before he had completed the turn. The Chase Boat went in to help them and tow them off the safety lines and himself got into trouble.
I have in the past towed boats off the safety lines myself and whilst not a difficult task it does take a modicum of seamanship.
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I remember the same thing happening at Penton Hook some years back, 1972 I think.

The river was on red boards, Thames Conservancy days, a rowing 8 from Staines made their turn too close to the wier. The boat hit the piles in front of the wier and broke in two, all the occupants were thrown into the water and swept over the wier.

Unfortunately they all lost their lives, and IIRC, bodies were recovered at Sunbury. Very bad incident that made the national news at the time. Right outside our house.
 
Well, either they were an experienced crew and cox who would know their practice reach very well and where to turn before (as logged in their risk assessment) or they were a novice/beginners' crew who should not be out on yellow boards.
 
An eight went through the weir at sunbury last year as well IIRC

Some of the crew went through too.

There are no green warning boards. It is as dogsbody has explained.
 
I am sorry but action now needs to be take action.

Given the number of incidents this year and in previous years involving row boats the rowers have demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that they are unable to make proper safety decisions. A compulsory ban for un-powered vessels on yellow boards is essential to make the river safe for the rowers and also for other users.

They are going to damage boats, infrastructure, people or worse.

CJL
 
CJL said:
I am sorry but action now needs to be take action.

Given the number of incidents this year and in previous years involving row boats the rowers have demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that they are unable to make proper safety decisions. A compulsory ban for un-powered vessels on yellow boards is essential to make the river safe for the rowers and also for other users.

They are going to damage boats, infrastructure, people or worse.

CJL
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Desirable as the above may be, EA have no powers to prevent people's actions (in lieu of stronger wording). There is a public right of navigation - so EA can't dictate how it's used.

Sooner or later folks have to make and be responsible for their own decisions.
 
TrueBlue said:
Desirable as the above may be, EA have no powers to prevent people's actions (in lieu of stronger wording). There is a public right of navigation - so EA can't dictate how it's used.

Sooner or later folks have to make and be responsible for their own decisions.
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But there isn't a public right to put others (school kids, rescuers and emergency services) at risk which is what these incidents are doing.

A compulsory ban on un-powered boats wouldn't impact on a right of navigation as you would still be able to navigate in a powered vessel.

CJL
 
I'm not in favour of a compulsory ban, I don't like where that leads to (tighter licensing and control on boaters in general).

However, in the current climate of ambulance chasing lawyers and people suing people over all sorts of liability issues, I do wonder how a school / college could even contemplate allowing a staff member to take pupils out on a river when the navigation authority responsible for that river is advising that no unpowered craft should be out due to adverse conditions. Seems to me the coach is in a position of responsibility and would not have a leg to stand on if one of the parents decided to take matters further.
 
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