PREVENTION is better than cure, the saying goes. That’s as true of river safety as it is of public health.

We’re delighted, therefore, to see that York’s universities have been putting out a fresh series of warnings about the dangers of the city’s two rivers for the benefit of the new intake of freshers.

Sadly, despite the best efforts of river safety campaigners to raise awareness of the risks, and despite every effort to make the city’s riverbanks as safe as they can be, there will always be people who find themselves getting into difficulties - often, though not always, after drinking too much.

Alcohol seemed to play little part when a major disaster unfolded on the River Ouse yesterday.

A tour boat was hit by a falling tree, which injured several passengers and trapped the boat dangerously against the bank near Bishopthorpe Palace.

More than 50 passengers were rescued, and taken by rescue boat to the nearby Bishopthorpe Marina.

It was, thankfully, only a training exercise. But it was a very important one.

We will hopefully never see such a scenario taking place for real on the Ouse. But loss of life in the river - and in the Foss - is all too common.

If someone does fall or jump in and get into difficulty, a rapid response is vital. Police, fire and ambulance crews need to be ready to work quickly and efficiently together with the York Rescue Boat and other organisations.

Yesterday’s scenario may not have been real. But the skills rescue workers honed while responding to it were. For that reason, exercises such as this are vital - and greatly reassuring to see.