A man has fallen into the river of one of your cities!

[Cayucas]

Consider the following theoretical scenario:

A man has fallen into the river in LEGO one of your Cities! What most likely happens next? Does this in fact call for the Rescue Helicopter with the Lifeline and the Stretcher?

Think about variables such as the average citizen, what an average city with a river would look like in your nation, the infrastructure, service response times, and how it all comes together in a theoretical rescue scenario—implying your average city would attempt such a rescue at all.

I'll start things off to give an example.

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One of the requirements for graduation in Cayucan public secondary education is to learn how to swim and complete a 50m swim test. Ideally this is knowledge that sticks indefinitely, helping citizens to survive a relatively likely accident as a maritime nation.

Once in the water, it's easy for someone to find their way out and back to dry land. Most of the rivers are flanked with solid stone or concrete quays, like the quays found in Amsterdam canals. They are relatively low height and usually feature waist-high iron bar fencing to deter falling in. Municipalities are nationally mandated to have access ladders every 100m at minimum, although it's usually 50m or less. Riversides in urban areas are purposely maintained to ensure accessibility, especially to allow for an exit to dry land. So long as the victim is sober and of an average build and mind, there's little need for professional intervention.

Some circumstances require professional rescue however. Riverside spotting is assisted and completed by police on patrol, emergency call-ins, volunteer lifeboat institutions, and the National Police's public surveillance system. National Police officers are mandated to pass an annual physical test, a 100m swim and basic lifesaving tests being among the physical test requirements. Volunteer lifeboat and affiliated institutions often put up more vigorous requirements for certification and membership. Fall-in incidents are usually dealt with RHIBs and other small, fast boats. In sum, the general response group is competent and reliable with rescues involving the average citizen.

The primary concern is response time. Even with <5 min. response times in urban areas, this is not enough to rescue citizens who are in fatal scenarios like falling in while intoxicated or tangled in material. Tabloid newsletters and other sensationalist media usually latch onto these incidents as a means to a quick buck, which inevitably flares up a debate on the potential underlying issues for a newscycle.

[Victorious Decepticons]

A...river?! On Planet Cybertron, where NO water is allowed to run freely (it is all kept in tanks far beneath the surface), and where that liquid is only used as an ingredient for certain chemical formulas?

We would be too busy responding to the environmental emergency of there being a whole river's worth of rust-causing liquid flowing over the steel that makes up our planet to even notice if some putz fell in it! Even if we did notice, there'd be no point in rushing to do anything about it. Most Decepticons don't have the seals needed to keep that amount of water out of them, so whoever fell in will have gotten shorted out and had his body become permanently non-functional within a few minutes at most.

We'd hope he was able to transfer his mind-data to a spare body before the current one was turned into junk by the shorting, but as for the body in question, it would be taken to a foundry by scroungers once we got rid of the water. There, it'd be sold as scrap and duly recycled.

If it was a human that fell in, he wouldn't be noticed. There are fewer than 10 of those beings on Cybertron at any one time, so nobody'd be looking for such a thing. They're also tiny compared to us, making them very easy to overlook.

If a human (or other biological) couldn't swim well enough to get himself out of the trouble, we'd only notice the existence of the body several days after the water was removed. At that point, we'd notice a strong, unfamiliar smell and someone would start looking for the source. The body would likely then be dismanted by randoms who wanted to try to figure out how a biological "engine" works, or in this case, worked.

[Estados Vaticanos]

Well, in the Vatican States it would be difficult for someone to fall into a river since generally there are no rivers in the big cities since we use the Roman aqueducts of our ancestors so that the rivers flow there but in the cities or rivers that there are not Immediately, one of the patrols that constantly monitor some of our rivers would notify the Coast Guard and if the river is navigable, a boat would be deployed to pick up the person in case one of our helicopters would be used for safe rescue

[Mzeusia]

A typical Mzeusian man would be quite healthy and would be able to swim, although some of the rivers wouldn't care about that and would be a danger to him because of swift current. That said, the rivers in the coldest parts of Mzeusia wouldn't be cold enough for that to be a danger for him, so that's good. Mzeusian citizens are very altruistic in general so it is likely that he may well be saved somehow by members of the public, and around the most dangerous of rivers, life ring stations are doted along the bank. Emergency services can be quite slow in the more remote parts of Mzeusia, but a typical man in a typical river will very rarely die, especially if there are people around.

[Independent-State of Papua New Guinea]

PNG is so rural there's little to no chances of the emergency services rescuing him unless say the man was streaming live on FaceBook which is the largest social media platform of PNG, the man is likely able to swim tho as swimming is a major sport in PNG, the Royal PNG Constabulary would likely respond if the man fell down at Pom (Port Moresby) but well, there's no river flowing through it so more likely, drowning in the coast.

[Destyntine]

There are multiple ways that this scenario could go. The first is that this person knows how to swim and can easily get out by themselves. Bionic limbs are built to be completely water resistant so anyone with cybernetics will be unaffected as well. Most people know how to swim, and a good majority could probably get out without any issue. The water in Destynic rivers tends to be near freezing temperature half of the year so this could come into effect negatively.

The second scenario is a DOCS rescue operation. The DOCS squad hovercar is able to levitate directly above a river and could autopilot right toward the individual in distress, allowing a police officer to assist them on board. DOCS are everywhere in every city. Response time would be immediate. DOCS armor is completely versatile even in the water, if needed an officer could dive right in and assist the person to safety.

The last option is only used in the most serious situations. If a DOCS member is unable to assist in time or there are other complications, a sector to the river can be closed, stopping the flow of the current and allowing a DOCS member to help the person in stable waters. All rivers in Destynic cities are modified to be controlled to prevent overflow and these kinds of situations from happening. Sectors can be closed off or opened when needed. Normal depth does not exceed 180cm. These kinds of situations tend to be very rare, with the majority of them being attempted suicides when they do.

Aside from coming out freezing and smelling of fish, these people are taken directly to a hospital by a hover rescue-vehicle if they look or claim to be injured.

[Radiatia]

It all depends on the time of year. Exegrad, Radiatia's largest city, is built on the Exer River and its not uncommon for people to fall in and bodies to wash up.

At this time of year, someone falling in the river wouldn't be so bad as it's frozen solid - he might have a few bruises, but a lot of ice skaters fall over on the Exer at this time of year.

In summer, he'll have to swim his way out and try not to catch any diseases from all the toxic waste in there. No one is going to help - people have their own problems to deal with, and most people will just assume he was another suicide tourist and wanted to drown himself deliberately.

[Nacrad]

If said man fell into the river passing through one of the towns, most likely emergency services will be immediately called and said person will be rescued within 12-15 minutes, then carted straight away to a hospital for a follow-up. The bills will be paid by the Government, but outstanding fees will be sought from the person if he is not a national.

If he fell into the river in the middle of nowhere, however, he will need to swim his way out, and if he's lucky a first responder team will be there within half an hour.

[Vallermoore]

Most Vallermoorians know how to swim well, be they human, changeling or pony. There are plenty of rescue rings around, and a few patrol boats. If the person survives and was willingly drunk, drugged or did it deliberately without a really good reason, a fine will be handed out. River swimming in most of the countryside is legal, but not in cities because the boat traffic makes it too dangerous. If it was an accident, there will be no fine, and if someone pushed the person in, the person/pony/changeling who did such a thing could face anything from a fine to an attempted murder charge if caught and convicted.

[Alzatia]

If a military or City Guard unit happens to be in the area, the man would be rescued. But the Grand Duchy is a largely rural nation, with no telephone networks or emergency rescue services. So most likely, the man would drown alone, and the body wouldn't be recovered until it washes up in neighboring France or Germany.

[Russian Wastes]

Nothing. Nobody has the will to help anybody anymore.

[Kheti]

There is one major river in the Kheti confederation. Muni-river runs through the capital city Memfei and also through some sparsely populated areas of the People's Republic of Tebee. The most probable location of such accident would be capital city, Tebee: many low-income citizens live near the river banks, and they get their household water straight from the river.

So, someone drops into the Muni river when getting some cooking water. When he yells help, residents of some slum houses nearby run outside, but none of them can swim good enough to save the poor man. However, there is all kind of garbage around the houses, so someone throws empty barrel and man uses the barrel as a pontoon. He stays on surface, but during winter months water is freezing cold. So he is not safe yet.

There is no fire department whatsoever in the slum areas of the city. When man continues his journey with the slow flow, a military patrol of Confederal Army notices him. Sergerant of the patrol takes the lead, and nationalizes some rope from nearby slum houses. A private manages to throw the other end of the rope to the poor man, and he is finally taken to the shore. Helpful citizen offers his warm cottage to the man. Residents of the cottage loan some simple dry clothes and wool blankets to keep the man warm. He also gets some warm sugar wine, and after few hours, he is once again in perfect fit, and has some new friends.

One week later man and his family bring some traditional Nayaga-bread for his helpers. They all eat together Nayaga with some sheep-milk cheese, drink sugar wine, feast together and think back those unfortunate events they shared.


Some good sugar wine to keep you warm during winter months

[Sky Reavers]

Ain't nothin' to worry about! Sky Reavers are tough as hell and awesome swimmers and can get out on their own, whenever they wanna or need to do so. Even drunk. Cause drunkiness is our second natural state! Still, if the dude in the river can't get out, cause he is too drunk, high, didn't exactly learn good ol' art of swimming or he is wounded or something, one of our folks gonna rescue him. Either one of us throws something floating, jumps in and grabs the drowning dude, or in more severe cases, a rescue team rushes there ASAP. We won't let man drown, that's for sure!

[Miku the Based]

My nation literally have lifeguards where waterflow exists. They will be rescued before they ever set foot in knee high water.

[Nalver And]

we rescue them
in a different way

[Olwe]

Depends whether the person can use magic or not. If they can, they would not require rescue. If they can’t, the Emergency Corps would save them.

[Mevraq]

Most rivers in Mevraq are small, and even a child can easily swim across them. However, if the man is incapacitated, then he will need rescuing. Approximately one in five Mevraqis has first aid training, and the vast majority can swim, so most likely someone nearby will be able to take charge of the situation until first responders arrive. The most dangerous rivers would be those in the mountains, where a lone hiker falling in would not be immediately noticed.

[Great Nortend]

Effectively all Nortchman know how to swim. However, assuming that this man does not, and is in distress, a passer-by would likely attempt a rescue. If a life buoy is available, it may be thrown. A policeman may be called to assist in a rescue. The rivers and canals in most Erbonian cities are fairly busy with barges and lighters and boats, and chances are, unless at night, the man would be spotted.

[Haremm]

An average river in an urban city of Haremm, would be something like London with the River Thames. With that in mind, Haremmians wouldn't naturally fall into the river as there would be barriers and railings to prevent them from doing so. But in a chance that a man would fall into the river, there may be several Haremmians would attempt to save the man by jumping into the river themselves or call local authorities to save the man. Upon calling local authorities, a helicopter (yes, really) would be dispatched to save the man.

[Nixon-Paiute]

We have one river, the Truckee river, that runs through the southern part of Nixon towards Pyramid Lake and through our hydroelectric station. If anyone fell into the river before the station and was unable to swim back to shore themselves, they would very likely be assisted via raft, or pulled up upon being swept to the wall of the dam. The portion of the river before the dam, which sits largely within the bounds of Nixon proper, is the deepest part within our territory, so it would be the most dangerous spot for someone to fall in.

On the otherside of the dam, the river is at most a few feet deep the rest of its course to Pyramid Lake. A concussion or cuts from rocks are more likely than drowning, but if a drunk falls over or someone hits their head, there'd always be townsfolk around to pick them back up.

[Wochaystein]

The man would probably know how to float and will wait be washed over onto the side. This is not a suggestion, but a fact.

[Andocara]

If the man screamed loud enough help, and the river is by a downtown area, his plea would be caught on surveillance, which would be caught by the local police. The police would contact the emergency services and give them information, including the exact location of where the man is, and the man's name, and they will head out to the area. Even if the person is underwater, they could still locate the man and potentially save him.

[Jershaland]

Well, a river, the Valeki river, flows right through our capital city of Barsa. If a man falls into the river, and he knows how to swim, it is very easy to get out. There are pathways on both sides of the river that are right up against the banks. He just has to swim over to them and climb out. If, however, he doesn't know how to swim, or is unable to swim to safety for some reason, he must depend on the help of a passerby. This person might jump in to the save the man or call the police. The Barsa City Police has a boat unit for cases just like this, and they have a very quick response time.

There are, sadly, cases were people have drowned in the Valeki river. These cases almost always happen at night, where visibility is low and the chances of being seen are slim. The Barsa City Government has instituted lamps every few feet on the riverside to try to prevent this.

[Feyrisshire]

Who is this "man" and where did "he" came from? Why is "he" here? If he fell into a river, just leave him be there, he'd probably try to swim back. That's how simple it is.

[Drew Durrnil]

Since the river in Teyaoré runs in the middle of the city and is heavily trafficked, the man would either be discovered and rescued very quickly or will be able to swim up to shore due to the artificially constructed rescue banks throughout the area.