River Clyde rescuer George Parsonage changes course for retirement Published duration 1 October 2019

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Glasgow's "river man" has plotted a new course - for retirement - after 40 years saving lives.

George Parsonage has spent his life on and around Glasgow's River Clyde, where his father worked to rescue people from the water.

He took over that responsibility at The Glasgow Humane Society in 1979 after his father died.

Now, with more than 1,500 rescues under his belt, the 75-year-old will to stick to dry land.

He will still be involved with the society but will pass the boat keys to rescuer William Graham.

George was born yards from the boathouse on Glasgow Green in the home of his predecessor as chief officer, his father Bennie.

He began assisting with river rescues while he was still a teenager in the late 1950s.

image caption George has more than 1,500 rescues under his belt

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's John Beattie programme , George said: "I was born in this house here and when your father is the lifeboat man running in and out of the house doing work on the river, it's automatic that the son goes and helps him.

"The things he could do were remarkable, the way he could row a boat and really never fluster - he knew exactly what he was doing, like a machine .

"There's not many people who can say their dad wasn't just their dad, he was their friend and their hero. I had all of that.

"When father died, I had my mother in a wheelchair and my sister in this house - we had nothing - I knew I had to take over the job and do it."

George works for the organisation which has been rescuing people from the water in the city since 1790.

Though emergency rescues are now carried out by specialist Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crews, George's help is still sought from time to time. And the society is also known for its work in recovering bodies from the river.

He said: "I count it as a great honour to rescue someone out of the river.

image caption George Parsonage has spent his life on and around the River Clyde

"The only fact I am proud of is the fact my father rescued 1,500 people too. He was rescuing at least three times the number of people he took out of the river dead.

"People you rescue out of the river very rarely come back and say thank you as they've generally done something silly to end up there. But families often come back to me and say thank you for recovering their loved one's body.

"Families are warned their loved one's body could be washed out to sea and they will never see them again. So they find closure if we recover them. That group of people say thank you a lot more than the ones you rescue. It's a strange anomaly."

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A life on the river would, of course, include marriage to a woman he "rescued" there.

George's wife Stephanie was an international rower.

He said: "She had rowed for both Scotland and England. She was one of the spare women in the team for the Seoul Olympics so she was very good.

"She was out training on the river and capsized. There was no problem."

'Prevent future accidents'

Now Stephanie is as much part of the Humane Society life as George, carrying out rescues and recoveries on the river too.

The society continues to play a role on the river, with its focus on promoting safety through education and maintaining the hundreds of lifebelts along the banks of the Clyde.

Just shy of his 76th birthday, insurance has expired on the society's motor lifeboat and George is unable to renew because of his age.

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So he will now assist by sharing his experience with William and raising awareness.

It is something he has looked forward to doing.

He said: "I am letting William do the work in the motor boat and society boats.

"I am doing something I have dreamed about and using my knowledge to prevent future accidents.

"We are doing so much safety work. Other places in Britain are following Glasgow's example on safety and that's wonderful."

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