Why are you bringing this "swift water" into this? Neither example cited had any "swift water".
no but that is the 'special training' that you dismiss regarding water more than 3 feet deep.
No-one is suggesting that the incident when the PCSOs didn't go in was admirable or sensible but it was an isolated incident completely unrepresentative of what goes on in the rest of the country. There are sensible guidelines given regarding entry into water but they are 'handrails' not 'handcuffs'.
No agenda,other than the pursuit of common sense over a slavish adherence to regs.
your agenda seems to be the 'nanny state' about which you appear to have a very distorted and 'Daily Mail' view.
Now you are making stuff up.
professionals are constrained by protocols - ask any doctor or nurse who comes across an accident or injury.
Well obviously. It's called judgement and experience and it's what you use instead of looking up regulations to tell you what to do or not to do.
and if your judgement is skewed due to ego and your experience doesn't extend to the situation at hand, then wading in makes you a fool not a hero. No-one is suggesting you need to look up rules and regs before saving a life - just think a bit first.
If you saw someone knocked down crossing a busy road, would you run straight out into the traffic or would you try to stop it or wait for a clear patch before rendering aid?