Krasnodar, 14 February – Yug Times. Andrei Riabushchenko, Deputy Head of the Professional Emergency Rescue Service of the Krasnodar City Municipality:
Q.: How busy is the current period of the year for the rescue service?
A.: At present, the weather is favourable, but we are getting prepared for late February till early March, a usual time of cold weather and the formation of ice on the water reservoirs. During this time, rescuers go to the most popular coastal locations every day and ask people not to go out on the ice. They also cut the ice by the banks, which is the most effective activity, because it definitely prevents children from going on the river ice.
At present, there is no ice, but in general, during the winter period the Karasun Lakes, the Kuban River backwaters and Kruglik Lake often freeze over and become dangerous. We have had cases of children falling through the ice. The only thing that saves us is that most of our water reservoirs are shallow.
Q.: How long may it take for the rescuers to get to the scene of accident?
A.: The response time of a rescue unit is up to 1 minute, and units often arrive in less than a minute. At the same time, it is not uncommon for the rescuers to encounter heavy traffic. However, even in the challenging conditions such as the frequent Krasnodar traffic jams, we manage to stay within the set norm – ten minutes. But, in a situation where someone is drowning, even such little delay is unacceptable.
Q.: It has been for many years prohibited to bathe in the Kuban River. Which locations pose the greatest risk to the ‘swimmers’?
A.: This is a particularly challenging issue for us. Every year, many people drown in the Kuban River within Krasnodar. Within the city, the river is 71 kilometres long and it poses a significant hazard everywhere. The river's muddy bottom, strong cur- rents, reverse undercurrents and whirlpools make it dangerous for anyone who enters it.
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