Police have warned people not to be tempted to cool off by taking a swim in open water this summer, no matter how inviting it may seem.
During hot weather, some consider Shropshire’s rivers, lakes and disused quarry pools an opportunity to cool off but officers warn that taking a dip in these waters is extremely dangerous and could prove deadly.
Particular concerns have been raised about people using Facebook to plan summer dips at Wenlock Quarry, near Much Wenlock.
Although pictures uploaded to the site show an idyllic blue pool surrounded by greenery, the site, which is incredibly deep, cold and has hidden ledges just beneath the surface, poses a real risk to even strong swimmers.
Constable Stuart Lippitt, local policing officer for the area, said the police were not killjoys and wanted people to enjoy the sunny weather, but needed to get the message across that unsupervised and unauthorised stretches of water were fraught with danger.
“It is usually impossible to gauge the depth of such water and, if you do not know the water level, jumping or diving in can cause serious injury or drowning,” he said.
“In addition to that, the water will be very cold in contrast to the warm air and your body temperature. The sudden change in temperature when you jump in can create a problem for even the strongest swimmer.
“I would urge anyone, no matter how skilled or strong a swimmer they might be, not to be tempted by any rivers, lakes or pools no matter how hot it might get. A refreshing dip to cool down just isn’t worth the risks.”
Constable Lippitt said it was not just young people police had found swimming in the Quarry – he had even come across adults taking their young children and toddlers down for a dip.
“And it is not just local people, they come from all over Shropshire. We’ve spoken to people from Telford, Shrewsbury and even Market Drayton who have travelled down for a swim,” he added.
“Water levels in the quarry rise and fall, frequently hiding ledges that could be just inches below the surface.
“Add into that the danger of other debris that could be hidden by the water and you have a real risk of your cooling swim becoming a matter of life or death.”
By Pam Griffin