Renewed safety warning after lorry is salvaged from Bristol’s floating harbour

Fresh warnings around safety have been made after a lorry plunged into Bristol’s floating harbour this week.

The driver had a narrow escape after the HGV, which was carrying costumes for new BBC series The Outlaws after filming in the city, crashed into the water shortly after 7am on Thursday (October 21).

The lorry missed boats moored nearby and nobody was harmed, with the lorry finally hauled out of the water by fire crews that afternoon.

The incident has further highlighted the dangers of the harbour and River Avon following a number of deaths in the area.

Earlier this year Bristol City Council, emergency services and businesses launched an awareness campaign after forming the Bristol Water Safety Partnership.

Signs were put up all around the harbour which highlight risks such as currents, temperature and water quality.

The city council said that it had seen the highest number of people entering the water over the summer.

Speaking at the scene of the lorry fall, Paula Ratcliffe, a member of the Bristol Water Safety Partnership, said: “There have been various issues in the past with people accidentally falling into the river and there have been some fatalities over the recent years.

“We wanted to highlight that to the people of Bristol and ensure they’re having a happy and safe time while adhering to safety principles.

“Whenever you’re near water, there’s always going to be some element of danger.”

Joe Bond, also a member of the group, said: “I think there’s been more people falling in the river this year than last year.

“We’ve put signs all across the harbour and hopefully people will start to realise it’s actually quite dangerous.”