There is no doubt that rowing is one of the most dramatic, fast paced sports on the circuit; and day-by-day programmes such as Future Blues encourage more and more people have the opportunity to experience the sport we know and love.
However, it would be a monumental oversight to assume that rowing is a risk-free sport.
At the 1936 Olympic Games, two boats collided, resulting in a man being empaled with the end of a bowball-less boat. The man is said to have a made a full recovery; but this moment signals the point when the competition engrained in rowing philosophy, began to turn bloody: and the world took notice.
Sadly, in more recent years, set more firmly within the borders of living memory, the media has once again taken notice in the events of rowing, reporting some of the saddest cases.
“Belarus para-rower Dzmitry Ryshkevich has died after capsizing during a training session at the World Championships. World Rowing said a rescue boat with a lifeguard reacted immediately at the Linz-Ottensheim rowing course in Austria, but 33-year-old Dzmitry Ryshkevich disappeared from sight on Wednesday.”
The Telegraph
Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident.
In the space of 24 hours in April this year, 6 rowers found themselves in what is arguably the most dangerous stretch of inland water in the country: The Tideway.
Chiswick RNLI responded to 2 calls on the 4th April, one to a capsized quad on Barns Elms Reach, and another to reports of a capsized single sculler at Chiswick Bridge. Fortunately, in both incidents the rowers were unharmed and the Coastguard was able to assist in keeping them warm and safe in the “Rapidly cooling evening”
Others, have not been so lucky.
In 2005, a tragedy unfolded in sleepy Berkshire when a new member of Reading RC went out alone in a single for the first time. He never came back.
The Reading Civic Inquest Centre heard that “safety was not impressed upon club members” and that the likely reason for the death of Sikander Farooq was that he failed to remain with his boat after it capsized, instead attempting to reach the shoreline.
These are just a few examples of the types of incidents that can take place and endanger rowers of all ages on the river.
This should not, however, prevent us from sculling and sweeping our way up the rivers of Great Britain and the world; instead we should let the tragic events of the past remind us of how to remain safe on the water, both for the sake of us, and those we encounter on the river.
Each year as the days get shorter, British Rowing releases cold weather guidance for those participating at Heads, and whilst it may not be the most engaging of literature, the fundamental principles are life-saving.
If you find yourself in the water this winter, stay with your boat and await help. Overcome cold water shock by regulating your breathing, and call for help either from those around you, or the emergency services.
Ed Evans
Opinions Editor
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