New warning signs and throwlines have been placed along the banks of the River Tay in Perth in a bid to reduce the number of deaths by drowning.
The new safety equipment has been installed by multi-agency Perth and Kinross Water Safety Partnership.
The group was formed in the wake of the death of 16-year-old Mateusz Wilamowski, who had attempted to cross the river with friends during the Rewind Festival.
It is thought that the youngsters had been listening to live music from the festival on the riverbanks opposite.
A major study into river deaths in Perth and Kinross over the last four years shows eight people have lost their lives and a further 18 have been injured in the course of 68 incidents.
The new safety features have been put in place just weeks before this year’s Rewind Festival, which is being held on the same site.
As a result, there will now be four extra emergency throwlines and 10 new warning signs installed along the river bank in North Muirton and the popular Woody Island area.
The signs, which have replaced ones installed in 2007, include information to dog walkers to keep their pets on a leash when next to open water.
Rab Middlemiss, group manager for Perth for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and project leader for the water safety partnership, yesterday said: “With more water flowing through Perth and Kinross from the river Tay and its tributaries than any other area in the UK, it’s clear that there is a real and present danger to the safety of our communities.
“The risks from open water are presented in different ways, including the many outdoor activities that take place within our beautiful countryside, like fishing or water sports, right through to occasions where people may look to harm themselves through suicide attempts.”
Lisa Stuart, of Safe-Tay whose 20-year-old brother Graham Motion drowned in the River Tay in 2006, designed the new signs for the launch.
She said: “We felt as a group it was important to design signage that gave a strong message and highlight the real dangers that are present from open water locally.
“Therefore we have produced the signs in red with clear safety symbols and warnings to emphasise these risks.”
Each sign has a local place name and map grid reference to provide the public with accurate information in the event of them phoning 999.
Willie Young, of Perth and Kinross Council’s environment service, said: “Whilst we can’t make signs that are completely vandal proof, our staff have installed poles that hold these new signs and emergency throwlines in a concrete base to make it harder to remove these.”