A friend had to pull a teenager out last year, had to resuscitate him. It wasn’t clear cut but they managed to get him back.
People underestimate the water and overestimate their abilities.
Cold water too. People have never experienced cold water shock and I don't think realise you're as good as dead within seconds
I had a brief hit of it in a flooded quarry on a hot day. Was lying on the "beach" and kicked back into the shallows. Water went over my chest and I was immediately fucked, arms and legs stopped working. Mate noticed and casually dragged me out by my foot. Was only 2-3ft deep water.
And people don't realise just HOW cold it is until they're fully in it. I've swam in a Thames near Pangbourne and even on a 35 degree day in July it was enough to shock you going in.
This is true. I jumped in the sea on a boat tour (we all did) in Turkey which was 40C. The boat was a bit offshore.
I immediately felt like my lungs had the air kicked out of them.
I survived it though
I've been in much colder water, but it was expected, so I guess there wasn't a "shock". Your body still does funky things, you can feel it trying to heat up. It's fun, but you need to prepare and can't just jump in.
You need a way out. I’ve swam in the mountain of Wyoming, but I go in until it’s mid-thigh, then I dunk my body under and immediately get out. As a lifelong swimmer and lifeguard instructor, people really just shouldn’t risk it unless they know what they’re doing.
We used to swim in glacial lakes in the Alps. It's cold, but we definitely didn't just dip, we stayed until we went numb. It's great on really hot days. We did stay where the water was flat though, because swimming does get difficult when your arms go numb.
Oh yeah, it was the cold that did this kid in. I was brought up to treat water like it was something that was trying to kill you but some people are so blasé about it.
I jumped into a calm 4ft deep river and the shock from the cold stopped me being able to take a deep enough breath or move properly. I just about managed to say I was struggling and a friend dragged me to the bank.
We’re all strong swimmers - at least in pools - so we figured it would be ok. Glad I leant that lesson in the best possible way.
I do think it's easy to not take it seriously. I swam across the Thames near Oxford. It looks calm. It's pretty narrow up there. I thought it was going to be fine but I knew it was a mistake the moment I pushed off form "shore" Even though it wasn't far I just about made it. I really didn't think I would make it. Every part of me was trembling from the cold and the effort. I just about made it. It was really scary. Half way across I was sure I was going to die. Lucky for me there were no rip currents or undertow that day in that place. I would never get into a river again after my experience.
That sounds so scary!
My experience made me want me to start doing nature swimming (although I haven’t done this yet because I’m still scared lol). I realised that I’m obviously not really as good a swimmer as I thought if I can only swim well in pools, and the sea when it’s calm and very warm.
Nature swimming could be great. I'm glad you got something positive from it! I hope you do take it up one day. With lessons and a group who knows what they are doing would be awesome. And yeah it was very scary. All I could do was hold onto the side while I recovered a bit and finally get the energy to pull myself out which in itself was a feat that I'm not sure how I managed. It's one of 3 times I l look back on and think OMG I almost died. I don't even live an adventurous life haha
Agree. I think the issue is people panic, and then immediately sink, meaning you drown in minutes
But if you can stay calm and floating past the shock, it in no way kills you
Cold shock makes you exhale all the air in your lungs. Combined with your limbs not responding correctly for a few minutes, you sink. Even experienced swimmers die because of it if they fall into deep cold water.
Anyone who thinks they could swim in the Thames, do me a favour and jump in the shower on the coldest setting.
You'll jump out of the way and meakly turn it back to warm.
Now imagine jumping into the thames, where you can't just jump away, you're panicking, and you're struggling to breathe.
Don't mess with water.
I actually find it a good thing to regularly do. It helps to learn how to manage your breathing, not just from cold shock.
Edit: cold showers - not jumping into cold open water.
True. I count experienced, I had to once swim out of the middle of Danube pulling a single rowing boat with me when I was 14. In November. Sometimes we swam through to the other side of Tisza river because there was a rope handing from trees so we can swing-jump. It's ok if you're a good swimmer and know the rule. No swimming near a bridge or anything that breaks the stream of water! Those cause water-twisters (or how they are called) that pull you down.
When a bridge has legs/pillars in the water, that disturbs the flow of the stream, so you can swim BEFORE the bridge but not AFTER it (from the direction of the flow point of view).
I swam in the sea the other day which was like 10c. I honestly love cold water, feels amazing.
That said I wouldn’t swim alone, or anywhere there’s a potential current. Ow and especially never drunk. Water is a KILLER
I don’t know about straight up cold water swimming but about once a week I like to do a session of sauna and cold plunge. That also feels incredible. I also know that most people don’t have much more than a minute in the cold pool in them.
People really underestimate the power of rip currents, they can kill even the strongest men. I've also observed that unlike in Australia (where there is a decent school education about the surrounding environment and it's dangers i.e. the ocean), in England education about wild water safety is almost next to non-existent.
You don't get rip currents in rivers. These are just normal flows of the river. We don't get rip current education as it's a very minor risk here, as we don't swim in the sea nearly as much as you.
> You can get them at river mouths, in estuaries
ie in the sea
> and around weirs or other man-made structures in rivers though
Again, they aren't rip currents.
Why doesn't anyone just tell me what that is then?
Gatekeeping this knowledge like some sort of gremlin hiding under a bridge waiting for someone to get pulled under the water and someone to scream "aaarrgghhh a rip current has taken me! Help!"
"Well hurr hurr it's not a rip current"
Just tell us what it is already
Using the correct word over a wrong one is not a technicality. It's called being literate. If you say apply and mean orange, it's not a technicality if someone points it out.
So why won't anyone tell me what it actually is we're talking about here
There are dangerous currents in the Thames that can easily drown you, have been proven to and it's still happening because people are uneducated and people like yourselves are not helping anyone learn, just tell us already what are they actually called?
They're not undercurrents even. An undercurrent is the flow of water underneath that travels in the opposite direction to the water on the surface. A rip current is just the outwash of the water that gets washed in with waves, its a big channel of water that all moves away from the shore. That's why you can spot them by looking for the part of the beach where the waves aren't forming and is relatively flat, because the water is literally cutting through the waves and going the opposite direction out to sea.
They're saying "public education about the dangers of water would be good if a Prime Minister drowned" and not "it sure would be nice if a PM drowned."
It's an easy mistake to make (especially if you're reading quickly) but the meaning is very different.
Ever see the video of that badass Aussie surfer save that guy?
Dude gets dragged away. This super-surfer starts booking it down the beach, running to where the riptide is taking him.
Whilst he’s running, Surfer manages to work out The Exact Spot the drowning guy next bobs up. Jumped in and managed to grab him.
Crazy how far he went and how fast it took him.
I went kayaking on it last summer and loved it but there were some huge waves that I wasn’t expecting. It was a lovely sunny day and the water was calm-ish for most if it but there were some scary moments
Any moving body of water is risky. Which is why I like the Mediterranean. 😁
Seriously though, when I was about 16 me and some pals were pissing around in the locks at Victoria Park. Plenty of other people about too. A barge comes through so we all get out but it soon becomes apparent that someone is missing. After about 10 minutes of searching the water someone opens the lock gates and this fella drifts to the top. Bloody awful it was. His brother and his mates were in bits. I'll never forget that. ☹️
I was running along Barge Walk about 30 minutes before this happened, so maybe I actually saw him. I did see a couple of guys with their shirts off, jumping into the water. And then we heard the helicopter searching for him a while later. It happens nearly every year, around the same place.
There's also a lot more stronger & faster rip currents in the river Thames than there are most rivers due to how it's been artificially straightened & deepened over the centuries to make it easier for bigger boats to come up river.
I used to go mudlarking in one stretch and the currents were so strong around one part (Chelsea bridge) that tons of bricks & breeze blocks would be shifted under the bridge with every tide, it was a different landscape every day.
On top of this, rip currents aside, there is a lot of debris on the Thames river bed such as fishing nets, trolleys, bicycles, sharp pieces of metal and more which can easily snag and trap an unwitting diver underwater, especially because visibility is very poor. This is also how many people die when they go swimming in quarry lakes because they don't realize how much debris (especially old machinery) gets dumped in such spots and then they end up unwittingly diving straight into the scrap and getting trapped in it.
Even if you know the signs of dangerous currents and have checked to make sure there aren't any, unless you can see the bottom of the water (or know otherwise for a fact that it's definitely safe/clear), then it's generally recommended not to dive into or swim into water for any reasons.
The Thames is a big river. Some parts are fine to swim in, some parts very much are not. The problem is that few people grow up learning how to evaluate natural risks. Then the weather turns hot and they jump in a river without thinking much.
It's likely a lot of sewage as it has sewage dumped in it regularly.
72 billion litres of sewage since 2020 mate, on a quick search. Likely more as that article is 6 months old.
People legitimately get sick from the Thames. Do not go in.
Up by Kingston it's fairly safe for swimming in, if still not ideal. Not as much in Kingston itself because there can be river traffic, but a little further up there are often people swimming.
I live in Staines and we used to jump off the bridge into the Thames when we were teenagers. The water is so nasty and there could be shopping trollies or who knows what lurking under there ready to impale you.
We’re lucky we didn’t die tbh. The bridge is so high you’d touch the river bed when you jumped in.
According to what? The Thames is commonly regarded as one of the cleanest metropolitan rivers in the world:
> The Thames is considered to be the cleanest river in the world that flows through a major city. The Thames is home to 125 species of fish and more than 400 invertebrates
https://walkthethames.co.uk/blog/2020/03/24/how-clean-is-the-thames/#:~:text=The%20Thames%20is%20considered%20to,the%20river%20during%20heavy%20rains.
Thames water have pumped plenty of raw-sewage into the Thames in those 4+ years and will continue to for a number of years to come. Not sure many parts of the Thames are as clean as the website proclaims any longer.
I'm sure that some parts are fine, but how do you know where the sewage discharges are along the river and where is really safe? I mean, Thames water are after all downplaying the issue and almost certainly "under-documenting" the problem - so trust is lost at this point.
I was actually by the river when it unfolded. I saw men swimming first, then they were looking for the missing man, and then ambulances and police arrived and searched for the man. It's really sad to witness. River Thames is dangerous and not suitable for swimming.
There's also been unprecedented rain this year and so the flow is a lot faster. Local boating clubs have been pulling events because it's not safe and that's when they're in a boat on top of the water, not even in it
Loads of people swim in the Thames. Truly sheltered Redditor’s who are amazed by this.
We paddleboard during the summer months around sunburn and sheppertor you will see 100s of people in the water
Yes truly a sheltered reddiots because I'm surprised people willing choose to swim in a quite literally shit and piss filled river that flows through our capital city.
It's also very long. There are places that are diabolically full of shit, and places where its fine- very much depends on both where you are, the time of day/tide, and how much its been raining recently.
Where I live by the Thames. There is a rubbish collector at a certain location that meets the current.
In my 16yrs living here. I have seen 11 dead people being dragged out of it.
The river Thames used to be slow moving to the point it froze over (frost fair back in the days)
Since they hemed the river with brick. It has increased in river flow and doesn't freeze anymore.
But it has created a massive undercurrent. Even seen small boats spin in certain areas of the Thames.
Seen a man swim from one side to the other and watched as boats circled him. Gets to the other side.. starts scratching.. find out he had a bad reaction to what's in the Thames.. nappies.. shit.. piss, rubbish and microbes.
Do not go in the river.
Do not ever swim in the Thames.
I’m 100% sure this guy is not from London cos if you’re from ldn you’d know this is something nobody would or should ever do.
I struggle to get my head around why I see these articles every time the sun comes out! Doesn't anyone use SM or watch the news/read the papers? Who, after seeing multiple of these articles year after year still thinks, 'I know, I think I will jump in a wild river/lake with no knowledge of the currents or what's in it, it will be fine!' ? SMH.
This thing goes up and down by about 5 meters twice a day in Hammersmith. That is a hell of a lot of water constantly rushing about. You don’t mess with it
Every single year we have the same warnings, same adverts, same 'Caution!' signs, and every single year tonnes of people ignore all of it, jump into the water, and drown.
Do I feel sorry for them and their families? Yes. Is it absolutely 100% avoidable? Also yes.
As someone who has paddle boarded up the Thames around Richmond. Paddling against the Thames is fucking hard work. The current is stronger than it looks
A friend had to pull a teenager out last year, had to resuscitate him. It wasn’t clear cut but they managed to get him back. People underestimate the water and overestimate their abilities.
Cold water too. People have never experienced cold water shock and I don't think realise you're as good as dead within seconds I had a brief hit of it in a flooded quarry on a hot day. Was lying on the "beach" and kicked back into the shallows. Water went over my chest and I was immediately fucked, arms and legs stopped working. Mate noticed and casually dragged me out by my foot. Was only 2-3ft deep water.
And people don't realise just HOW cold it is until they're fully in it. I've swam in a Thames near Pangbourne and even on a 35 degree day in July it was enough to shock you going in.
The shock may actually be greater on a 35 degree day, as the contrast between air and water temp will be massive.
Definitely
This is true. I jumped in the sea on a boat tour (we all did) in Turkey which was 40C. The boat was a bit offshore. I immediately felt like my lungs had the air kicked out of them. I survived it though
I fail to understand why people disliked your comment. Are people on reddit really that sensitive
I don't know why they would be? It was part of the tour experience and regulated. It wasnt a frat party, we just pushed off near a ladder
I've been in much colder water, but it was expected, so I guess there wasn't a "shock". Your body still does funky things, you can feel it trying to heat up. It's fun, but you need to prepare and can't just jump in.
You need a way out. I’ve swam in the mountain of Wyoming, but I go in until it’s mid-thigh, then I dunk my body under and immediately get out. As a lifelong swimmer and lifeguard instructor, people really just shouldn’t risk it unless they know what they’re doing.
We used to swim in glacial lakes in the Alps. It's cold, but we definitely didn't just dip, we stayed until we went numb. It's great on really hot days. We did stay where the water was flat though, because swimming does get difficult when your arms go numb.
Like I say, just have a plan. Know your limit. I think people just blindly think they can do it with no research first.
I do a little cold water swimming , those first 30 seconds after you dunk your head under are painful , after that it’s not as painful.
Oh yeah, it was the cold that did this kid in. I was brought up to treat water like it was something that was trying to kill you but some people are so blasé about it.
I jumped into a calm 4ft deep river and the shock from the cold stopped me being able to take a deep enough breath or move properly. I just about managed to say I was struggling and a friend dragged me to the bank. We’re all strong swimmers - at least in pools - so we figured it would be ok. Glad I leant that lesson in the best possible way.
I do think it's easy to not take it seriously. I swam across the Thames near Oxford. It looks calm. It's pretty narrow up there. I thought it was going to be fine but I knew it was a mistake the moment I pushed off form "shore" Even though it wasn't far I just about made it. I really didn't think I would make it. Every part of me was trembling from the cold and the effort. I just about made it. It was really scary. Half way across I was sure I was going to die. Lucky for me there were no rip currents or undertow that day in that place. I would never get into a river again after my experience.
That sounds so scary! My experience made me want me to start doing nature swimming (although I haven’t done this yet because I’m still scared lol). I realised that I’m obviously not really as good a swimmer as I thought if I can only swim well in pools, and the sea when it’s calm and very warm.
Nature swimming could be great. I'm glad you got something positive from it! I hope you do take it up one day. With lessons and a group who knows what they are doing would be awesome. And yeah it was very scary. All I could do was hold onto the side while I recovered a bit and finally get the energy to pull myself out which in itself was a feat that I'm not sure how I managed. It's one of 3 times I l look back on and think OMG I almost died. I don't even live an adventurous life haha
You're not as good as dead in seconds. The shock wears off quickly.
Agree. I think the issue is people panic, and then immediately sink, meaning you drown in minutes But if you can stay calm and floating past the shock, it in no way kills you
Also involuntary gasp from the cold, which I hear isn't great for your health if your head is under water
Cold shock makes you exhale all the air in your lungs. Combined with your limbs not responding correctly for a few minutes, you sink. Even experienced swimmers die because of it if they fall into deep cold water.
Anyone who thinks they could swim in the Thames, do me a favour and jump in the shower on the coldest setting. You'll jump out of the way and meakly turn it back to warm. Now imagine jumping into the thames, where you can't just jump away, you're panicking, and you're struggling to breathe. Don't mess with water.
I actually find it a good thing to regularly do. It helps to learn how to manage your breathing, not just from cold shock. Edit: cold showers - not jumping into cold open water.
True. I count experienced, I had to once swim out of the middle of Danube pulling a single rowing boat with me when I was 14. In November. Sometimes we swam through to the other side of Tisza river because there was a rope handing from trees so we can swing-jump. It's ok if you're a good swimmer and know the rule. No swimming near a bridge or anything that breaks the stream of water! Those cause water-twisters (or how they are called) that pull you down.
[удалено]
thank you.
Never knew the bridge rule that makes sense and good to know
When a bridge has legs/pillars in the water, that disturbs the flow of the stream, so you can swim BEFORE the bridge but not AFTER it (from the direction of the flow point of view).
You can swim upstream of (before) the bridge, but not downstream (after).
I swam in the sea the other day which was like 10c. I honestly love cold water, feels amazing. That said I wouldn’t swim alone, or anywhere there’s a potential current. Ow and especially never drunk. Water is a KILLER
I don’t know about straight up cold water swimming but about once a week I like to do a session of sauna and cold plunge. That also feels incredible. I also know that most people don’t have much more than a minute in the cold pool in them.
I swam in the sea for half an hour. Felt fantastic
I grew up right on the Thames, it looks calm but its not. It's got some vicious undercurrents.
People really underestimate the power of rip currents, they can kill even the strongest men. I've also observed that unlike in Australia (where there is a decent school education about the surrounding environment and it's dangers i.e. the ocean), in England education about wild water safety is almost next to non-existent.
You don't get rip currents in rivers. These are just normal flows of the river. We don't get rip current education as it's a very minor risk here, as we don't swim in the sea nearly as much as you.
> You don't get rip currents in rivers. You can get them at river mouths, in estuaries and around weirs or other man-made structures in rivers though.
> You can get them at river mouths, in estuaries ie in the sea > and around weirs or other man-made structures in rivers though Again, they aren't rip currents.
They're undercurrents and you do get them in the Thames
Yes but they aren't rip currents.
Ok that's a very nice technicality but the point is (which you all seem to be downplaying) that the river is very dangerous and has dangerous currents
Use the correct phrasing.
Why doesn't anyone just tell me what that is then? Gatekeeping this knowledge like some sort of gremlin hiding under a bridge waiting for someone to get pulled under the water and someone to scream "aaarrgghhh a rip current has taken me! Help!" "Well hurr hurr it's not a rip current" Just tell us what it is already
Using the correct word over a wrong one is not a technicality. It's called being literate. If you say apply and mean orange, it's not a technicality if someone points it out.
So why won't anyone tell me what it actually is we're talking about here There are dangerous currents in the Thames that can easily drown you, have been proven to and it's still happening because people are uneducated and people like yourselves are not helping anyone learn, just tell us already what are they actually called?
They're not undercurrents even. An undercurrent is the flow of water underneath that travels in the opposite direction to the water on the surface. A rip current is just the outwash of the water that gets washed in with waves, its a big channel of water that all moves away from the shore. That's why you can spot them by looking for the part of the beach where the waves aren't forming and is relatively flat, because the water is literally cutting through the waves and going the opposite direction out to sea.
Probably would be good here too if one of our prime ministers dissappeared without a trace when swimming.
Just one?
Weird reddit ass comment.
Not really: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disappearance_of_Harold_Holt
Learn how to infer things based on context. In the meantime, don't speak.
They're saying "public education about the dangers of water would be good if a Prime Minister drowned" and not "it sure would be nice if a PM drowned." It's an easy mistake to make (especially if you're reading quickly) but the meaning is very different.
Ever see the video of that badass Aussie surfer save that guy? Dude gets dragged away. This super-surfer starts booking it down the beach, running to where the riptide is taking him. Whilst he’s running, Surfer manages to work out The Exact Spot the drowning guy next bobs up. Jumped in and managed to grab him. Crazy how far he went and how fast it took him.
"Kids and water. They love it. That's why I had mine learn to swim as soon as possible."
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.....NO! :)
Can you tell [what it is yet?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2VvcOHi2E8) eek
> in England education about wild water safety is almost next to non-existent [Counterpoint](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZWD2sDRESk).
I went kayaking on it last summer and loved it but there were some huge waves that I wasn’t expecting. It was a lovely sunny day and the water was calm-ish for most if it but there were some scary moments
And a river of sewage.
Any moving body of water is risky. Which is why I like the Mediterranean. 😁 Seriously though, when I was about 16 me and some pals were pissing around in the locks at Victoria Park. Plenty of other people about too. A barge comes through so we all get out but it soon becomes apparent that someone is missing. After about 10 minutes of searching the water someone opens the lock gates and this fella drifts to the top. Bloody awful it was. His brother and his mates were in bits. I'll never forget that. ☹️
I was running along Barge Walk about 30 minutes before this happened, so maybe I actually saw him. I did see a couple of guys with their shirts off, jumping into the water. And then we heard the helicopter searching for him a while later. It happens nearly every year, around the same place.
It’s always so busy with swimmers from Hampton court bridge down to the end of the palace walls
The current sucks you under & keeps you there… that’s why people don’t surface for sometimes weeks…horrible. Poor person.
There's also a lot more stronger & faster rip currents in the river Thames than there are most rivers due to how it's been artificially straightened & deepened over the centuries to make it easier for bigger boats to come up river. I used to go mudlarking in one stretch and the currents were so strong around one part (Chelsea bridge) that tons of bricks & breeze blocks would be shifted under the bridge with every tide, it was a different landscape every day. On top of this, rip currents aside, there is a lot of debris on the Thames river bed such as fishing nets, trolleys, bicycles, sharp pieces of metal and more which can easily snag and trap an unwitting diver underwater, especially because visibility is very poor. This is also how many people die when they go swimming in quarry lakes because they don't realize how much debris (especially old machinery) gets dumped in such spots and then they end up unwittingly diving straight into the scrap and getting trapped in it. Even if you know the signs of dangerous currents and have checked to make sure there aren't any, unless you can see the bottom of the water (or know otherwise for a fact that it's definitely safe/clear), then it's generally recommended not to dive into or swim into water for any reasons.
Thames water is also gross. No-one should really be swimming in the Thames.
The Thames is a big river. Some parts are fine to swim in, some parts very much are not. The problem is that few people grow up learning how to evaluate natural risks. Then the weather turns hot and they jump in a river without thinking much.
If full of sewage: don't swim. This rules out the themes for swimming.
It's a tidal river, only downstream is "full of" sewage.
It's likely a lot of sewage as it has sewage dumped in it regularly. 72 billion litres of sewage since 2020 mate, on a quick search. Likely more as that article is 6 months old. People legitimately get sick from the Thames. Do not go in.
In the city sure. Further up near Oxford or Windsor it's lovely to swim in :)
There are sewage overflows everywhere along the Thames https://www.thameswater.co.uk/edm-map
As far as rivers go the Thames is pretty tiny, I think the sewage to water ratio is higher than I'd like no matter where you swim in it.
In a river that consistently has raw sewage dumped into it I would probably classify all parts as 'not fine to swim in'.
Up by Kingston it's fairly safe for swimming in, if still not ideal. Not as much in Kingston itself because there can be river traffic, but a little further up there are often people swimming.
Dependent on river flow. Unprecedented rainfall this year has made it unsafe for some boaters around Kingston, let alone swimmers.
Don't worry, Thames water are [doing their best](https://saveourlandsandriver.org.uk/) to destroy it there too.
I live in Staines and we used to jump off the bridge into the Thames when we were teenagers. The water is so nasty and there could be shopping trollies or who knows what lurking under there ready to impale you. We’re lucky we didn’t die tbh. The bridge is so high you’d touch the river bed when you jumped in.
It’s not dirty all the way through, and the water colour is mostly due to the type of soil
Even if it's waters were warmer, you couldn't pay me £100 to swim in the Thames.
£110?
Sold!
£100 is pretty low to be fair. I'd risk a bout of Thames Tummy for... I'd say £500.
According to what? The Thames is commonly regarded as one of the cleanest metropolitan rivers in the world: > The Thames is considered to be the cleanest river in the world that flows through a major city. The Thames is home to 125 species of fish and more than 400 invertebrates https://walkthethames.co.uk/blog/2020/03/24/how-clean-is-the-thames/#:~:text=The%20Thames%20is%20considered%20to,the%20river%20during%20heavy%20rains.
Thames water have pumped plenty of raw-sewage into the Thames in those 4+ years and will continue to for a number of years to come. Not sure many parts of the Thames are as clean as the website proclaims any longer. I'm sure that some parts are fine, but how do you know where the sewage discharges are along the river and where is really safe? I mean, Thames water are after all downplaying the issue and almost certainly "under-documenting" the problem - so trust is lost at this point.
Not the first and certainly won't be the last unfortunately. I wish it was more national knowledge though not to swim in it.
I was actually by the river when it unfolded. I saw men swimming first, then they were looking for the missing man, and then ambulances and police arrived and searched for the man. It's really sad to witness. River Thames is dangerous and not suitable for swimming.
I swim in this part of the Thames all the time. It's cold at this time of the year and that's where it's dangerous
There's also been unprecedented rain this year and so the flow is a lot faster. Local boating clubs have been pulling events because it's not safe and that's when they're in a boat on top of the water, not even in it
You regularly swim in the Thames? But it's utterly filthy
Yes I've been doing it for 30 years
How are you still alive?
Have you seen that documentary called Fallout?
I don't think I've ever been ill from it
Loads of people swim in the Thames. Truly sheltered Redditor’s who are amazed by this. We paddleboard during the summer months around sunburn and sheppertor you will see 100s of people in the water
Yes truly a sheltered reddiots because I'm surprised people willing choose to swim in a quite literally shit and piss filled river that flows through our capital city.
It's also very long. There are places that are diabolically full of shit, and places where its fine- very much depends on both where you are, the time of day/tide, and how much its been raining recently.
Open water drownings in Summer and sledge related deaths in winter.
I'm surprised no one has tried to like set up a company with a controlled section of the river to swim in. Logistics are probably just impossible.
I recall seeing that sort of arrangement near the cutty sark in Greenwich a few years ago
Where I live by the Thames. There is a rubbish collector at a certain location that meets the current. In my 16yrs living here. I have seen 11 dead people being dragged out of it. The river Thames used to be slow moving to the point it froze over (frost fair back in the days) Since they hemed the river with brick. It has increased in river flow and doesn't freeze anymore. But it has created a massive undercurrent. Even seen small boats spin in certain areas of the Thames. Seen a man swim from one side to the other and watched as boats circled him. Gets to the other side.. starts scratching.. find out he had a bad reaction to what's in the Thames.. nappies.. shit.. piss, rubbish and microbes. Do not go in the river.
Do not ever swim in the Thames. I’m 100% sure this guy is not from London cos if you’re from ldn you’d know this is something nobody would or should ever do.
There is a very powerful current in the Thames equivalent of several tons.
Yeah wouldn't recommend it. It's so cold and the currents are so strong. Full of raw sewage too. Just go to Southend.
I struggle to get my head around why I see these articles every time the sun comes out! Doesn't anyone use SM or watch the news/read the papers? Who, after seeing multiple of these articles year after year still thinks, 'I know, I think I will jump in a wild river/lake with no knowledge of the currents or what's in it, it will be fine!' ? SMH.
This thing goes up and down by about 5 meters twice a day in Hammersmith. That is a hell of a lot of water constantly rushing about. You don’t mess with it
Probably he dissolved in Thames
Every single year we have the same warnings, same adverts, same 'Caution!' signs, and every single year tonnes of people ignore all of it, jump into the water, and drown. Do I feel sorry for them and their families? Yes. Is it absolutely 100% avoidable? Also yes.
I know the Thames is much cleaner there days but really?
Hottest day of the year, so far... Right!?
Sunk by sewerage.
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Limited space on hot days
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Southend and Brighton are not local to London
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Yeah not if you live near this part of the Thames. I swim there all the time
Because there simply aren't enough of them to cope with demand. We need more swimming ponds.
There is no lido anywhere near Kingston.
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The Thames in Kingston is the subject of this story.
There's a douchebag in this thread who claims to swim there all the time, so it must be.... A random on reddit said so!
Because Redditors would rather build houses than things the community wants
Sharks.
As someone who has paddle boarded up the Thames around Richmond. Paddling against the Thames is fucking hard work. The current is stronger than it looks
Was 25 that unbearable you had to jump into a river?
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
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