The banks of the River Fowey in Lostwithiel have been the location for a training session for part of the Swift Water and Flood Water Rescue Team.

There are only two such specially trained teams in the county, one in Falmouth and the other in St Austell, and it was Orange Watch from St Austell who were in training in Lostwithiel this week using the strong currents to brush up their techniques.

The rescue team is called out for all sorts of reasons, such as to deal with a car stuck in a ford, to find a person who has been swept from a footpath and to deal with the aftermath of major floods like the one that hit Boscastle a few years ago.

Hazardous

Firefighter Andy Reynolds said: 'These training days are vitally important to keep up the crew's skills in an extremely hazardous environment. With an increase in extreme weather we are needed more and more.'

As proof of the need for such highly trained teams in Cornwall it should be mentioned that during one week in December alone bad weather in east Cornwall meant the team was called out to three incidents.

The team is warning the public that in heavy rain it is important to be careful and sensible even on footpaths, as water levels can rise surprisingly quickly. It is therefore a comfort to know the teams are there should we be unfortunate enough to need them.