West Mercia police attended the regatta, in Ross-on-Wye on Sunday, August 25th at around 5pm to provide advice on the dangers of open water swimming to anyone that was in the water or near to the water including parents of children to explain the potential dangers of open water.

This followed a call from a member of the Rowing Club concerned about the safety of a young family swimming in the river while racing was going on. The member of the Club told the Ross Gazette: “I asked the man, presumably the father, who was with two children, one a girl who looked about five to come into the bank, but he refused

He added that he would not want anyone to go swimming in the River Wye, as it is so dangerous, especially for young children, but he said to swim across the racing lanes during a regatta is really unwise.

Inspector James Ashton said: “The sunny bank holiday weekend means that people are tempted to taking a cooling dip in the water, but unfortunately open water such as the River Wye in this instance often hides much less obvious dangers to your safety.

“Being a strong swimmer does not mean you will be safe in open water. There are many hidden dangers including: cold water temperatures that can lead to cold water shock; hidden currents; unseen objects such as rubbish, broken glass or hazardous materials; it can also be difficult to gauge the water depth and there are potential health risks from poor water quality.

“In this instance there was the additional danger of the regatta with many boats on the water that may not be able to move out of the way of people swimming in the river.”

He continued: “We want everyone to enjoy the sunshine safely and as part of the Home and Dry Network we work with our partners including the PCC, West Mercia search and rescue and the fire service to educate and inform the public about water safety and make sure everyone returns home safely.

“In the event of an emergency please don’t jump into the water to attempt a rescue, please call 999.”See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.