Police have issued a warning about the dangers of swimming in open water after a large group of people were seen jumping into the River Trent.
Officers attended Beeston Weir around 7pm on Wednesday (8 July) where around 30 people had gathered on both banks of the river.
With another period of hot weather expected to last over the weekend and into next week, police are urging people to heed warnings and stay out of the water.
Almost half of accidental drownings happen in the warmer months and often involve people who take a spur-of-the-moment decision to enter the water.
Dangers posed by open water include very cold temperatures, even in heatwave conditions, strong underwater currents, unexpected water depths and other hazards such as debris, weeds, pumps and mechanical equipment.
Inspector Usha Madaraa said: “It’s going to remain hot and sunny this week and people will obviously want to be out and about enjoying the summer.
“They will also want to keep cool, but going into open water is not a safe way to do this and puts yourself and other people’s lives at risk.
“The Trent and other rivers and canals around Nottinghamshire may look incredibly enticing but you won’t know the dangers that lurk beneath the surface.
“We intend to increase patrols close to the weir and in other locations in Nottinghamshire, but we cannot be everywhere.
“There are no lifeguards, you don’t know how deep it is, or what’s in the water.
“You could get tangled up in the weeds, land on a discarded shopping trolley, and hurt yourself.
“Even with the hot weather, the water could still be cold causing you to go into cold water shock.
“No matter how strong of a swimmer you believe you are, or if your mates are jumping in, or you’re following a trend on TikTok and egging each other on – remember the dangers.
“Please enjoy the good weather but don’t go jumping or swimming in open water, it’s really not worth the risk.”
