Rescue crews hope Peterborough teenager's death sparks safety message
Jack Lloyd died after drowning in a lake earlier this year
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service hopes a Peterborough teenager's death can help other young people understand the risks around open water swimming.
Jack Lloyd got into difficulty while swimming at Crown Lakes Country Park, Farcet in April.
An inquest into his death concluded the 16-year-old died as a result of an accident.
"We're able to encourage other people that this happened to someone who left school that day and didn't consider for a moment they wouldn't be going home," Station Commander Paul Clarke, water safety lead at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue, said.
"Our key message is to take that understanding away that it isn't a risk-free activity."
The inquest heard a statement from police who attended the scene that Jack told his friends he was going to jump into the water, despite calls for him not to.
Jack is the second teenager since August last year known to have died after getting into difficulty while swimming in lakes within the county.
'Challenging conversation'
Paul believes adults speaking to their children about the dangers of swimming in open water can be difficult.
"It's always a challenging conversation," he added.
"Teenagers are learning and finding their independence, so it's about being consistent with the messaging and having conversations in an open way.
"I always remind (my children) when they go swimming with their friends on the waterways to make sure they acclimatise themselves with the water and not jump straight in because that's where people can get into difficulty."