Spate II.

This is the River Severn at Maisemore. At the weir specifically.

It usually looks a bit like this. (although even this picture looks a little dramatic with a bore approaching the weir.

Quite how anyone can get into difficulties when rivers are carrying this amount of extra flow is beyond me. Maybe it's because I'm a fisherman and know just how powerful rivers can be but surely something appearing thus just screams "stay away from me when I look like this!"

My colleague and friend Craig has to go out and rescue folks from things akin to this and although they're an extremely well trained bunch and they are supported by the Fire Service, DEFRA and the EA amongst others, it is still a risk and it's done voluntarily. Judging by some of the stories I've heard over the last week maybe the government could do well to resurrect this terrifying oeuvre. Or maybe it's a bit of natural selection going on (obligatory advocatus diaboli statement - sorry).

Nonetheless, visit SARA's website and see some of the good stuff they do.

Come to think of it, that public information film is one of the reasons why I'm careful (that and Dad always warning me when we went fishing) around water. Let's be honest, it's f*cking terrifying isn't it?