Herts Police deliver water safety talks at the Canoe and Slalom World Champs

Hertfordshire Constabulary were invited to the Canoe and Slalom World Championships last week to give life-saving water safety talks and demonstrations to local schoolchildren.

From Tuesday (19 September) to Friday (22 September), crime prevention officers were at Lee Valley White Water Centre in Waltham Abbey, alongside officers from the countywide Water Safety Project, the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Operational Support Unit (OSU), colleagues from both Essex and Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Services, and representatives from the Canal and River Trust charity.

Throughout the week, hundreds of local schoolchildren were given water safety talks and demonstrations, with officers sharing vital information about the dangers of swimming in open water and demonstrating how to properly use safety equipment such as throw lines and life buoy rings.

OSU teams gave live rescue demonstrations and carried out search and rescue training exercises.

Sergeant Theresa Funes-Walker, who leads on the Water Safety Project said: “This was a great opportunity for us to speak with local children to educate them on water safety. I’d like to thank Lee Valley for allowing our OSU officers to use their grounds, and to the event organisers for inviting us to be a part of the week.”

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