Warning issued by Rutland water safety experts, following number of deaths in England
Three teenagers have lost their lives after getting into difficulty in the last two weeks
Water safety experts in Rutland are urging people to avoid swimming in restricted water sources this bank holiday weekend, after three teenagers lost their lives in recent weeks.
Families and friends looking to make the most of the long weekend are being warned not to dive in rivers, lakes, canals and other restricted open water areas, regardless of how warm it is.
It's after three teenagers tragically lost their lives in two separate incidents in Northumberland and Northamptonshire.
17-year-old Ronalds Abele died after getting into difficulty in the River Nen in Wellingborough on Friday 10th May .
Last week, a search was launched for two friends from Newcastle who reportedly got into trouble in the River Tyne at Ovingham on Saturday 18th May.
14-year-old David Radut died at the scene and 13-year-old Aras Rudzianskas later died in hospital.
Connor James set up Aqua Park Group at Rutland Water, which trains over 50 open water lifeguards every year, and said: " I think the hot weather and heat waves naturally get people excited about cooling off in lakes, rivers and canals and it's something that people inevitably do, but the risks of swimming unsupervised in open water locations including quarries or canals where the depths are often unknown, are really high.
People often don't know the objects that are just beneath the surface of the water. There can be strong currents and the temperatures can reduce quickly the deeper you go, therefore increasing the risk of things like cold water shock."
"I think what's on my mind is really that it requires a continuous effort to help keep raising awareness for water safety.
We'd always give advice to people to wear appropriate safety equipment you know, including use of buoyancy aids and wetsuits, and attend venues with organized activities with trained lifeguards to help keep them safe in open water. That's really the message."