Film water safety on inland waterways
Inland water looks calm, and that is the trap. Canal sides are steep and slippery, lock chambers are deep with sheer walls, and a placid river can run high and fast after a week of rain.
We bring safety boats small enough for narrow water, qualified safety crew with throw lines and rescue kit, and lifejackets for everyone at the edge. You get a written safety plan and risk assessment your production can file, covering each position, the ways in and out of the water, and what happens if someone falls in.
Who is in charge. The Canal & River Trust looks after most canals in England and Wales, where boats keep to 4 mph. The Environment Agency runs the non-tidal Thames and several rivers in the east of England, the Broads Authority runs the Broads, and Scottish Canals runs the canals of Scotland. We plan with whichever runs the water.
Locks and weirs. Water moves fast around lock gates and sluices, and the turbulence below a weir can hold a person under. Cast and boats stay well clear of both, with rescue positions set downstream.
Cold and levels. Inland water is cold enough for cold water shock for most of the year. On rivers we watch the levels and warnings before the day, and move the date if the river floods.
Drones. Most rural canals are clear of restricted airspace, but some pass airports and prisons with zones of their own: the foot of the Foxton flight in Leicestershire sits on the edge of HMP Gartree's zone. Every position is checked first, and a towpath take-off needs the landowner's OK.
Filming somewhere else? See all our film boat hire locations, or tell us where and we will find the right boat.
The Canal & River Trust looks after most canals in England and Wales, where boats keep to 4 mph. The Environment Agency runs the non-tidal Thames and several rivers in the east of England, the Broads Authority runs the Broads, and Scottish Canals runs the canals of Scotland.
Water moves fast around lock gates and sluices, and the turbulence below a weir can hold a person under. Cast and boats stay well clear of both, with rescue positions set downstream.
Most rural canals are clear of restricted airspace, but some pass airports and prisons with zones of their own, so every position is checked first. A towpath take-off needs the landowner's OK.
