Tavistock fire officers have warned people to be more careful about water safety after two incidents, one involving a river and the second a pond.

Two people have been cared for by emergency services in West Devon after two separate incidents involving water in the past week.

On Monday morning last week at 6am two Tavistock fire crews were called to the rescue of a person in the River Tavy in Tavistock Meadows by a man out walking his dog The walker heard a cry for help from the riverbank and immediately raised the alarm The man was in deep water in the river with no means of escape.

Crews donned water rescue equipment and went into the river to rescue the trapped man. He was brought up a ladder using lines and safety equipment to be treated by South West Ambulance Service paramedics and taken to hospital In the afternoon of the same day Tavistock fire crews joined Bere Alston and Yelverton colleagues to aid another man who had fallen into a pond while working on a tipper truck in Bere Alston. In this case, fortunately, the crews were were stood down by the paramedics who had attended first, because the casualty was out of the water. A Tavistock fire service spokesman said: “With ,hopefully, summer coming please be mindful of getting into water during hot spells Although it may be hot outside, water temperatures can often be very cold, getting into cold water can cause cold shock and have tragic consequences. Last year 236 people died through accidents involving water.”

Further water safety advice is available on the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service website https://www.dsfire.gov.uk/news/water-safety-warmer-weather