Evening Times Online - June 13 2005
A River Rescue Hero has been awarded £90,000 from Strathclyde Police - after being cast adrift by the Force
by Alex Robertson
A RIVER rescue hero has been awarded £90,000 from Strathclyde Police - after being cast adrift by the force.
George Parsonage has saved more than 1500 people from drowning in the River Clyde.
Last month, the Evening Times revealed that police were to stop calling him out on incidents because of health and safety fears.
But now his application for a grant of £90,000 in support of the Glasgow Humane Society has been accepted by Scotland's largest force.
Councillors on Strathclyde Joint Police Board agreed to the grant after a report by Chief Constable Sir Willie Rae said that although the Humane Society's role was changing it would still play a part in helping emergency services.
An internal memo had previously told officers not to call Mr Parsonage out because he was the only member of his lifeboat rescue team and would have to work alone.
River rescue duties are now to be carried out by the police underwater team and Strathclyde's firefighters who, as revealed last week, will use jet skis to help save people from the Clyde.
The decision to stop using Mr Parsonage came to light in May, on the day he picked up a lifetime award from Princess Alexandra in London in recognition of his work.
He also has a clutch of awards for bravery and was awarded the MBE for his work by the Queen in 1999.
Mr Parsonage, 61, said today he was "delighted" to receive the £90,000 grant, which will allow him to still offer some support to the emergency services. He said: "We are happy to continue to provide assistance. "We've been here for a long time. "While we shouldn't live in the past, we should learn from the past. "By looking at the record of the Humane Society we can ensure there are no accidents in the future."
In a report presented on Thursday, Sir Willie Rae "invited" councillors to approve the grant. He said the role of the Humane Society would change on October 1, when rescue would be the responsibility of fire chiefs, with police tasked with recovery.
Sir Willie added: "Discussions are ongoing regarding each agency's respective role. "It is recognised that the rescue services must be maintained during the inevitable transitional period and that while the Humane Society will not have a duty of rescue and recovery they will continue to provide assistance to emergency services."
Councillors approved the grant which is £8000 more than last year.
Mr Parsonage has rowed a boat on the Clyde to rescue men, women and children since 1979.
The Glasgow Humane Society, founded in 1790, is the oldest organisation of its kind in the world.
It was established after Glasgow merchant James Coulter donated £200 to buy a lifeboat to rescue drowning people and recover bodies from Glasgow's rivers.