CARDINGTON. ~ At 4.30pm British summer time on Friday, emergency services were dispatched to the River Great Ouse after receiving reports that a man was in trouble while in the water. A man who was 18 and “playing in the water” when he got into trouble and died has prompted a police department to warn people not to continue swimming in a lock. Just days after his death, Bedfordshire Police warned swimmers to leave Cardington Lock, located in Bedford. The area is surrounded by various signs that warn visitors not to swim and claim that they are dangerous. It was said that high-visibility patrols would be carried out over the weekend to remind people of the risks associated with swimming in open water.
According to the Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, the teenager was “playing with friends in the water in the hot weather” when he drowned. According to firefighters, “emergency services arrived on the scene and were able to revive him but unfortunately he died in hospital later that day.” This is the statement from the fire department. The predicament the youngster found himself in happened on Friday afternoon at Cardington Lock in Bedford.
The police department issued the following statement: “Even the most experienced swimmers can struggle in open water.” Please do not put yourself or anyone else at risk by swimming in these surroundings as they are not designed for this activity and may present serious risks. After struggling on April 16 near Weir Dock in Kempston, Bedfordshire, two women, Sarah Waller, 56, and Laura Pottinger, 52, died of their injuries. The event occurs after they die.
