Don’t cool off in open water, emergency services warn

South Yorkshire Police and South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR) said that even though the weather is warm, the water might not be and there are many hidden dangers.

Insp Richard Batty, from South Yorkshire Police, said: “We don’t want to stop people from enjoying any warmer weather this summer, but lakes, rivers and flooded quarries hide a multitude of dangers beneath the surface.

“Although the water might seem inviting, freezing temperatures, hidden currents and debris underneath the water can all pose grave dangers.

“The water can often be a lot colder than expected and swimming in freezing temperatures, even if the weather is warm, can affect your ability to swim and can soon mean you find yourself in some difficulty.

“With murky waters, it’s also unclear as to how deep a body of water can be. 

“People can throw all sorts in rivers and reservoirs, from old bedding to car engines and this can cause severe injury, particularly if you’re jumping in from a height.

“Weeds can also grow underneath the surface, which can prove to be very dangerous and can lead to swimmers becoming tangled up in them.”

Steve Helps, head of prevention and protection at SYFR, said: “We regularly receive 999 calls in the summer about people getting into difficulty in water, so it’s only a matter of time before someone’s safety is really put at risk unless people listen to our advice.

“It can be tempting to cool off in the summer months, but stick to a swimming pool. “Hundreds of people drown each year in the UK and places like rivers, lakes or flooded quarries are completely unsuitable for swimming as they hide a number of hidden dangers.”

SYFR has attended 282 water related incidents since 2012 in which forty-nine involved rescuing people from open water and three people died.

Call police on 101 if you have concerns about people swimming in open water.

Here are some of the police's top tips for staying safe this summer:

• Stick to community led swimming events/swimming pools
• Be mindful of your own swimming ability and don’t swim where you don’t know what the water is like or what lies beneath it
• Don’t go swimming alone. If you do, stick to swimming pools where there are lifeguards on hand if you are unfortunate enough to get in to difficulty.