Sunday morning once again
And there was I as a W P C
Working as a Special Constable
Policing the Community
When we got a call to to return to the Station
To pick up a “Dragging” light
For use underwater , by a Diver
To give them better powers of sight
On this particular occasion
The situation seemed very severe
Some young lads had been swimming in the River
One dived in and disappeared under the Weir
We hunted high and low for the requisite light
But alas without any success
Then rapidly made our way to the site of the Weir
Which was a vision of deep distress
Another 2 Officers were first at the scene
The male stripped to boxers, with rope round his chest
Diving relentlessly into the raging torrent
In an effort to do his best
To locate the Lad who was missing
No thought of giving up hope
And I dashed across to the Mill House
Perchance to find a more suitable rope
The Ambulance stood by with Paramedic
The WPC intent on her tethered Mate
Who repeatedly dived and surfaced, now exhausted
The ultimate result too dire to contemplate
And I returned to the scene with the rope that I found
Which too heavy and thick to be of any use
What else could we do to aid out brave companion
In a situation Oh! so obtuse
Then the Section Officer arrived on the scene
And instructed me to guard the road at the gate
To keep away unwanted visitors
Until we had established the victim’s fate
Whose Mother was informed by a WPC
Of what had actually happened to her Lad
But deep in our hearts we knew after all this time
The eventual result would be sad
My thought were then that some Mother’s son
May be lying under the raging waters ,dead
Whilst another Mothers son intent on being his saviour
And could end up a victim instead
The Chief Inspector arrived and the Fire Engine too
And quickly assessed the present situation
And decided to use a long pole in an effort
To perhaps find the victim’s location
I didn’t take them long to find the young lad
And to the Ambulance his body was taken
Where the Paramedic worked hard in a final effort
To establish life extinct and not mistaken
Whilst I could only watch from a distance
The thought that kept racing through my head
That my own two Lads were safe from all this
And spending the day with their Father instead
By now the ambulance had left the scene
The Fire Engine and other Officers too
My Partner and I were the only ones left
And were given our task to do
To await the Scene of Crime Officer
And keep all unwanted visitors away
From the spot where the Youngsters had picniced and played
On this fateful Eastertime day
And whilst we were waiting , small group of bullocks
Who had grazed in the field for today
Had wandered nearer to satisfy their curiosity, it seemed
And it was my job to shoo them away
As I discovered that my Partner
Of large Animals was not too keen
Which rather surprised me really
After the various situation with him I’d seen
The Crime Officer arrived soon after this
And various photos proceeded to take
Of the place where the Lads had their Picnic
And notes he started to make
Took photos of the Weir, Water and a notice
Ironically displayed quite clear
To try to prevent such a tragedy as this
“Danger or Death, do not swim in the Weir”
A Heron flew over as we finally left
This now quite peaceful idyllic scene
And I turned to my Partner and said
What a strange traumatic day this has been .