We/they never learn, another hot spell another tragedy :( Many years ago a friend of mine drowned in a canal lock during a hot spell.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c977117r1p8o
Last edited by TheTigerUK; 20th May 2024 at 12:21.
Aye I was thinking just the same a day or two ago, I was encouraged to swim from an early age but had it drummed into me about the hazards of icy cold water on hot days, fast flowing water and unseen obstacles and currents, yearly a local reservoir claims at least one teenager due to water temperature and under currents.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Another one in Kingston last week.
We were heading out for a bit of food on the Riverside restaurants on the Sunday night, when we saw three ambulance, police cars and helicopter hovering overhead, and it had happened on directly opposite on the river bank. We got out quickly as my wife became distraught as we know it is usually late teens playing in the water.
It was a warm day, but water is still freezing.
That is the second time I have been walking around the river parade when it has happened, and this stretch it is not uncommon.
Mostly due to cold shock and not being able to function, rather than not being able to swim.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2rr5vd2pgo.amp
less than 100m from my daughters house...tragic
Dutch kids all learn to swim when they're 5, 6 yrs old. It's not mandatory, but every parent is aware of the dangers in this low and wet country. In fact, all my life I've never met parents who decided that kids' swimming lessons are a waste of time. And when I was a kid, schools had swimming lessons on their program.
Sadly, the kids who drown here are children that are not born here. Often refugee children. As said it's not mandatory and often there's a cultural barrier to overcome before parents and kids go to the swimming pool for lessons.
And then, there are people who drown in the sea. Sometimes the result of a freaky accident (I wrote about the May 2020 disaster when 5 life guards suffocated due of the sudden build-up of sea foam), But mostly people who're unaware of currents etc. And again, tourists, or grown-ups from Eastern Europe, not familiar with the treacherous conditions of the Dutch (and Belgian!!!) coast line.
^^^As mentioned above, many (but no all) who drown in rivers and lakes of the UK are competent swimmers.
It is the cold shock that gets them. An early May Day when the air temperature is 27 degC, and you take a dip to find that the water is still not much above 10 degC.
https://www.rya.org.uk/water-safety/cold-water-shock
... adding to that: a friend of mine is professional fire fighter (he used to be a Navy diver). One of his tasks is training fire brigade crews. During that training he always asks how often hypothermia happens during a hot summer. Long story short: nearly every day of the year. During a very long hot summer season, perhaps 5 or 6 days are hot enough. But for the most, the Dutch weather (± UK weather) and hypothermia go hand-in-hand 360 days/year.Originally Posted by noTAGlove
So I guess that your observation is correct.
Sorry maybe a typo, what's the distinction between the thing that happens 5-6 days and the thing that happens 360 days? Ta
[QUOTE=M1011;6398373]Sorry maybe a typo, what's the distinction between the thing that happens 5-6 days and the thing that happens 360 days? Ta[/QUOTEt
Only 5/365 days are 'safe' (as in 'hot') enough to stay out of the hypothermia condition. (Obviously: Provided you're found and rescued within the time the Fire Brigade normally needs to save a person).
[QUOTE=thieuster;6398385]Ive given it up now but until a few years ago i was a scout leader, one of the old guys who was there from the early days always warned the group about hyperthermia risks on hot days….not that health and safety would allow it nowadays anyway but back in the 70s, midsummer, cracking hot day and the group were on a scout camp, they were dipping in and out the river all day, early evening they found one of the lads shaking like a sh*tin* dog. This was before mobile phones and they were quite some way to the nearest pay-phone, they made a few of the lads jump in a sleeping bag with him to get his body temp up whilst someone went for help. Quite scary how you can get in to trouble when you don't expect it.
Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 20th May 2024 at 21:24.
Ah makes sense - thanks
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