People reminded of dangers of swimming in open water

Cllr Victoria Wilson visiting Chasewater Reservoir

 With some hot weather forecast over the next few days, people are being urged not to cool off by swimming unsupervised in open water.

Staffordshire County Council’s Communities leader, Victoria Wilson, explained that on a hot day, the water can look incredibly inviting but can also be extremely dangerous.

Victoria said:

“I understand people wanting to cool off by going for a swim but plunging into open water is completely different to swimming in a safe, controlled pool.  Unfortunately, we hear far too often about people getting into difficulties swimming in reservoirs, lakes and quarries.

"Our message is very much to enjoy being near the water and the supervised activities on offer, when it comes to places such as Chasewater reservoir, but when it comes to swimming, be safe and go to public, supervised pools.”

No matter how warm the day, large bodies of water stay very cold, with temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius, and that can cause cold water shock, which can lead to a sudden loss of consciousness.  Even the strongest swimmers can find themselves at risk from the sudden change between air and water temperature and hidden hazards beneath the surface.

Swimmers in lakes and reservoirs are also at risk from becoming entangled in underwater weeds and dumped rubbish or being caught out by unseen currents and other dangers.