Teens risk lives in 30ft bridge plunge
Children as young as 11 and 12 are joining teenagers in death-defying 30ft leaps into a Lincolnshire river.
Horrified residents living near Gainsborough's Trent Bridge have made a series of 999 calls to police.
And they have demanded action to avert a tragedy as the young men and boys have carried on with their fearless activities despite warnings.
Drivers waiting on the bridge for traffic lights to change during the heatwave have been doing double-takes.
Young people who are apparently crossing the bridge have jumped over the barriers into the cooling waters below.
Keith Blyth, manager of the 60 Granary Wharf luxury flats in Bridge Street overlooking the Trent, rang the police emergency number.
"I've had lots of complaints from really worried residents who have seen lots of young people jumping into the river," said Mr Blyth.
"We watched as one boy really struggled to get to the opposite bank. He nearly didn't make it."
Gainsborough police spokesman Jemma Peacock confirmed that officers had been called to the river following calls from concerned witnesses.
"When police went to the River Trent on Tuesday night there were six young people at the scene – the youngest spoken to was 13," she said.
"They were all given very strong words of advice because it is incredibly dangerous to jump into the river.
"We also want parents to be aware that there are children under 16 involved."
For more on this story, including interviews with the jumpers, see Friday's Echo.
5 Comments
by chris hilton, lincoln
Friday, July 03 2009, 1:00PM
“what happens is when ur a child of that age you do stupid thiongs and there is not one person who can say they havent cos that would be lying. they do it to either impress there friends or just to be plain stupid, at the end of the day they will get older and look back and realise how stupid they where but for now there just growing up and every kid has a sill stage, we are like a game of bingo because your number is going to come one day, just wish them kids are more careful.”
by Hussydog, In Your Head
Friday, July 03 2009, 12:20PM
“These children will not listen until one of them dies. Fact of life the more adults say don't do something, the further they will push and do it anyway. I know it is stupid and something should be done to stop them doing it, but they will find something else equally as dangerous and do, as they will when summer is over!”
by M C Donald, Lincoln
Friday, July 03 2009, 8:39AM
“We can't wrap our kids up in cotton wool and they will take risks regardless what we do. Unfortunately some will get hurt and some will die, that's life. Survival of the fittest or the less stupid.”
by lynn, lincoln
Friday, July 03 2009, 8:24AM
“It won't be long before one of these silly boys get dragged to their death by the strong under currents in this river. You only have to look into the murky waters to see the swirling mass just below the surface. I remember a teenage boy drowning at this spot one hot Sunday afternoon, he had been having a lunch time pint at the pub a few yards from this bridge and decided to cool off in front of his mates. The current dragged him under and he was quite a strong swimmer.”
by Den Esberger, Lincoln
Friday, July 03 2009, 6:19AM
“When I was a young boy growing up in the Stamp End area of Lincon in the late 1950s and early 60s a great number of people arranging in age from 9 or 10 year olds to older teenagers used to swim at the "hotties" where all the warm water used to come from the power station on Spa Road. A lot of the elder boys including 2 of my elder brothers used to dive off the big metal bridge near the old Smith Claytons forge and used to swim to Washinborough and back just for the fun of it ,so no matter what era it is when there is hot weather and cold water people will want to cool off. I nearly drowned there but 2 of my mates did drown so obviously there is always an element of danger.”