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Emergency rescue exercise at Motion nightclub
Firefighters have been practising river rescue techniques close to Motion nightclub in St Philip’s.
It was just an exercise on Monday but last year Avon Fire & Rescue Service were called to rescue 54 people from waterways.
Exercise Missouri was designed to highlight how alcohol can affect even the strongest of swimmers if they fall into the river.
is needed now More than ever
Station manager Andy Goode said: “There have been a number of occasions where people enjoying nights out have needed to be rescued or even lost their lives in the waterways in our area.
“We want people to enjoy their night out safely and to take extra care when drinking alcohol near the water. The last place you would want to end up is in the river as the water is particularly cold.
“The low temperatures mean that even extremely strong swimmers will quickly find themselves in real difficulty.”
The service has also been advising the nightclub to help reduce the risk of customers entering the water.
At the rear of the building the bushes have been cut back so the ledge that leads to the water is now visible and a high fence has been installed to deter anyone from trying to gain access to the club.
Motion manager Marco Bernardi said: “We want all our customers to enjoy their time at our venue and to be safe. The security at our venue has been improved to ensure that anyone refused entry is unable to gain access to the club from the rear of the building.”
The exercise comes after several people have died falling into the water on nights out in Bristol.
20-year-old Oliver Feast drowned after going to the Thekla in February 2015
He had taken drugs and drank alcohol after arriving at the club and was ejected for being drunk. His body was pulled from the water hours later.
Read more: Firefighters test their river rescue skills
Photo credits: Avon Fire and Rescue