Police say the death of a man in the River Trent over the Bank Holiday weekend should serve as a reminder to the public of the dangers of open water – particularly during unusually warm weather.
Emergency services were called just before 1.15pm on Monday (August 26) after the man entered the river at the Victoria Embankment and got into difficulty.
A rescue operation involving police underwater search teams, fire and rescue and ambulance crews was launched, before the man’s body was recovered at around 3.30pm.
Members of the public also tried to save the man before he went under the water.
Officers say while it’s not exactly clear how the man came to enter the water and begin to struggle, the incident should still serve as a warning to anyone tempted to swim in open water during the hot weather.
Temperatures reached 33.2C in parts of the UK yesterday – setting a new August Bank Holiday record. The previous record of 28.2 was set two years ago.
Police say the man’s family have been informed and are being supported by specially-trained officers following the incident.
Sergeant Pete Shaw from Nottinghamshire Police said: “While work is now underway to understand how the man came into difficulty, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water – regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently.
“As in this tragic case, open water can have hidden dangers that can prove fatal and I would urge anyone who spends any time on or near open water to use this case as a devastating reminder of that – particularly during the recent warm weather we have been experiencing.”
The man’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
