Large rubber ducks have been placed at river rescue hotspots to remind people to think before going near water after having a drink.

Despite the light-heartedness of the The Kent Fire and Rescue initiative, Got ducked, fell in aims to draw attention to a problem that has tragic consequences.

In December 2014, 28-year-old Pat Lamb went missing near the River Medway in Maidstone after a night out.

A month-long search came to an end with the heartbreaking news that his body had been recovered from Cuxton Marina, several miles north of the county town on the river.

More recently in December last year, a woman, who had been drinking heavily and could not swim, almost lost her life after falling into the water.

Acting quickly, her husband and a bystander jumped in to save her, pulling her to the bank before she was treated by Kent Search and Rescue.

The service stated she was "extremely lucky" to be alive.

The campaign has also been backed by the family of Ben Savage, another young man who tragically died after falling in the river.

The area around Tea Pot Island, Hampstead Lane in Yalding where there have been 15 incidents and Fairmeadow on the banks of the River Medway in Maidstone where there have been eight are just two of the locations where the ducks can be found.

In the past nine years, KFRS has attended more than 335 water rescues, an average of 37 a year.

Hoping to spread awareness of the dangers, KFRS is asking people who find the ducks to take photos and post them on social media with #gotduckedfellin or #gdfi.

Leanne McMahon, from KFRS, said: "If this campaign can save just one life by making someone think before they drink near water, then it’s done its job. It’s easy for someone to topple into a river or lake when drunk, when their balance is off and they aren’t thinking straight.

“When drunk you may think it’s a great idea to go for a swim, it’s not, or you could simply go the water’s edge, lose your footing and fall in. If that happens, the chances of someone surviving are dramatically reduced if they’re intoxicated, as reaction times are reduced and instincts are skewed.

"No one should underestimate the danger of water, even the strongest of swimmers can struggle in underwater currents and also suffer from cold water shock, which triggers involuntary inhalation and can result in drowning."