Opps imagine the paper work

[C2 RIBS]

I think they forgot their fast water training Pamela Jackson: Police forced to abandon river hunt after dinghy containing sophisticated search equipment is swept over ranging weir | Mail Online.

[spartacus]

I'd have thought an initial survey of the search area (especially with a weir and fast flowing river) would have necessitated a tow bridle with someone on the bank as a security back up. Easy in hindsight.

[C2 RIBS]

Yes normally they are overkill on safety but this one appears to be lacking- at least they actually went looking

[peterthelight]

What happened, I wonder, to the funny hook shaped thing with a bit of string attached that should have been immediately available whilst working near a weir?

[Rogue Wave]

Originally Posted by peterthelight

What happened, I wonder, to the funny hook shaped thing ?

Would that be the old bill?

[Mcd22]

If its a big enough weir than even big engines won't stop you going over.

Usually the boat would be controlled by a series of ropes from the bank. Working close to the top of a weir is dangerous enough when your tied on but its actually more dangerous to work close to the bottom of it. Its like a giant washing machine.

[willk]

I expect that they were making a quickish pass with a sidescan towfish strung out to check the bottom just above the weir - a likely location for a "find". That would made rope work a bit tricky. So long as the personnel were in no great danger, I wouldn't sweat the loss of a bit of gear (if it even WAS lost). The cost of these body searches is eyewatering at the best of times - a laptop or so won't make a blind bit of difference.

[harryesd]

Originally Posted by Mcd22

If its a big enough weir than even big engines won't stop you going over.

Usually the boat would be controlled by a series of ropes from the bank. Working close to the top of a weir is dangerous enough when your tied on but its actually more dangerous to work close to the bottom of it. Its like a giant washing machine.

I agree with McD22, the only safe way of working near weirs is bank crews and ropes, even safety boats fail allowing both of you to be sucked over the boil line.