WARNINGS have been issued after people were spotted ‘tombstoning’ into Walney Channel as Barrow basked in hot weather.

A fire boss said jumping into cold water from height was 'a form of Russian Roulette’.

It comes after Furness Coastguard were called out on Sunday to give safety advice to people tombstoning into Walney Channel.

This was just days after a series of water safety talks given to primary schools by Associated British Ports (ABP), which aimed to raise awareness about the dangers of swimming in areas such as nearby Buccleuch Dock. 

Station manager for prevention at Cumbria Fire and Rescue Andrew Lowes said a person in a house fire would generally have a better chance of being rescued than someone drowning.

He simply asked 'how long can you hold your breath?' 

Mr Lowes' comments came in the context of the tragic death of a 14-year old boy who got into trouble in the River Tyne at Ovingham in Northumberland over the weekend.

Another boy, aged 13, is in a critical condition. The recent fine spring weather marks the start of this year's annual uptick of incidents involving bodies of water over summer seasons for fire and rescue crews to respond to. 

Mr Lowes said: "It's currently something that is a perennial issue. It's really, really dangerous."

Although the ambient air temperature is rising, the water will still be only a few degrees above freezing. Cold water shock forces the human body to take in air but when in water this increases the chance of drowning.

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He added that when jumping from a height of more than a few metres the force of the water can knock someone out if they are at the wrong angle. 

Not knowing what could be below murky water also introduces risk as a ten metre drop needs an unobstructed depth of ten metres 'and some' to be safe below the surface, according to Mr Lowes.

"If you see someone in the water the first thing you need to do is ring 999," he said. "We've got beautiful waterways - we want people to enjoy those but you need to enjoy them in organised events if you want to do that." 

Mr Lowes said the service wanted public feedback on how well its messaging on issues such as tombstoning was resonating with residents. 

An ABP spokesperson said: "ABP hosted its second annual Water Safety Day on Friday in order to raise awareness about the dangers of swimming in docks, such as Buccleuch Dock, as well as to teach vital lifesaving skills and emphasise the importance of water safety education from an early age.

"ABP is urging everyone to stay safe and only swim in designated areas.”