Pictures: York Rescue Boat crews train in River Ouse flood water

York Rescue Boat crews have taken advantage of flooded riverside paths in York to carry out a training exercise.

A spokesperson told YorkMix: “Yesterday some of our flood team braved the cold and completed some wading training around Skeldergate bridge.

“We would not normally operate a wading team here however we were able to use a number of skills that we might have to use to operate in during a real flood rescue scenario.

This exercise was carried out wearing full PPE along with a qualified flood rescue instructor.”

They added the important message: Please do not enter flood water yourself.

In another development, York Rescue Boat crews have discovered one of the life saving rings housed by the river on Foss Islands Road tossed across to the other side of the carriageway.

They found the housing where the life ring is kept had been opened up. The ring itself was located across the busy main road nowhere near the river.

A spokesperson said “Tampering with life saving equipment could have serious implications during an incident.

“If this equipment is damaged or missing it could result in the loss of someone’s life. It is vital that this equipment is left in place unless required in an emergency.”

The life ring was checked for damage and returned to the housing. It’s situated close to the area of thge river where fire crews were recently called in to help one person out of the freezing river Foss.

If you discover a missing or damaged life ring or housing then please report it to the council as soon as possible.