Lifebelts thrown in River Foyle by vandals

Two belts were thrown in the river while another was interfered with at its riverside station on Sunday.

"On Sunday, August 9, 2020 three lifebelts along the River Foyle were tampered with. Two were thrown into the water and carried away in the current with a third one having to be reset.

"This necessitated volunteers on duty that night being diverted on land and by boat in order to search and relocate both lifesaving devices to ensure they could be used by members of the public when required," said FS&R in a statement.

The river rescue charity pleaded with those responsible to desist and pointed out that over the past week or so lifebelts were successfully deployed by members of the public to help rescue people in difficulty.

"Lifebelts have been activated three times in the last week at several locations where members of the public deployed them resulting in successful rescues and lives being saved.

"FS&R would appeal to the public, if anyone observes these lifesaving devices being tampered with in anyway please notify the PSNI as soon as possible on the non-emergency number 101.

"Lifebelts are located all along the River Foyle for the public's safety and we appreciate that members of the public have conducted fundraising over the years to purchase extra Lifebuoys," it said.