A DANGER to life warning has been issued after a vital piece of emergency rescue equipment at a Greenock reservoir where a young child became trapped in thick mud was found to have been cut.

A concerned councillor - who raised the alarm about Coves Reservoir at a recent Municipal Buildings meeting - spotted, after the worrying incident, that a heaving line used to haul in a life belt was no longer attached to it.

Councillor John Crowther told the Telegraph: “That is why lives are lost, the life belt is a life saver, but it must also have a heaving line.

“If a belt is left with a cut line like this then a life is at risk."

Inverclyde Council said that if the snipped rope was the result of vandalism then it would be a 'deplorable act that could lead to devastating consequences'.

The comments come after specialist rescue crews were despatched to the recently emptied reservoir on Tuesday morning after a child got into difficulties in the soft mud there.

A letter issued to parents by Inverclyde Council stated that the local authority was aware young people had been taking shortcuts across the drained reservoir recently and this had sparked the incident.

The local authority noted that while the youngster involved was rescued, the outcome could have been ‘much more serious’.

(Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland)

Now Councillor Crowther, a longstanding water safety campaigner, has added his voice to the calls for people to be mindful of the serious dangers posed by mud and water.

He told the Tele: “The schools have been informed about the dangers, but we have to promulgate this message even further to the general public.

“Fortunately, here at Coves Reservoir the water is not tidal so it’s not going to come up, but if someone becomes trapped in a place like Parklea and it’s a flood tide, then time is of the essence.

“In areas like Parklea becoming trapped can be life threatening, the length of time that someone is out there can make things very serious.

"It’s not just a case of lifting someone out, there’s suction involved which has to be broken.

“The warning to everyone is that they should not take the chance of going out onto the mud - that light crust could give way and before you know it and you’ll be up to your knees.”

(Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland)

Ward seven representative Councillor Crowther praised the response of emergency services and the council’s education department to the incident, but warned that more could follow if locals did not heed warnings.

He added: “The greatest danger just now is where you can see what appears to be grass, it looks to be safe and around the edges it may take your weight, but where the mud is still soft there is a danger area.

“While everyone is now aware of the dangers, my concern is if, say, a dog goes out and an adult goes out to get them. The adult should not go out to get them, ever.

“If anyone gets into trouble, phone 999, ask for the coastguard and explain that it is mud the person is trapped in.”

(Image: Duncan Bryceland) (Image: Duncan Bryceland)

“If that [a cut lifebelt line] happens and someone is in the water you have one chance of getting the life belt back in and by the time you find other equipment it could be too late.

“I always make sure and check when I’m down here and I know they are checked regularly by the council as well.”

The council pledged to fix the damaged line as a ‘matter of urgency’ and emphasised commitment to regularly inspecting lifesaving equipment.

A Municipal Buildings spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a young person was involved in an incident at the Coves Reservoir, Greenock on Tuesday 25 June 2024.

“The reservoir was recently drained for maintenance and the remaining residue means it is not safe to cross. Signage is in place warning of the dangers, but we have written to parents asking for their support in reinforcing this message.

“We would discourage anyone from trying to access the reservoir at any time and advise that everyone in the area keeps to the pathways.”