Trained policeman and rescuers should be allowed to Operate
There is quite a discussion going on over the death of Simon Burgess, the man who was found floating in a lake. At least one police officer, trained for his duties, volunteered to jump into the three feet of water to save the man, but was told to wait due to health and safety regulations.
The victim drowned after having an epileptic seizure. There was a slim chance that the man would still have been alive and been saved had action been taken sooner, yet there is no way of knowing for sure if the man could have been saved because health and safety rules made it impossible for the police officer to go through with his instincts to rescue the man.
The incident is just one of many where the circumstances prevented officials from doing their duty based on health and safety. Emergency service personnel are taught all about calculated risks, yet in situations such as Simon Burgess they are unable to act when it could save a life.
It is not only the UK that has such rules. Even a well trained person in the USA has to wait until safety measures are in place when going to the rescue. The system is designed to make certain the rescuer is safe in order to prevent two losses should something go wrong. It is unfortunately up to the top ranking official at the incident that has to make a tough call as to what can be done.
