Bathampton river rescue: Dog walkers save trapped teens

People are being warned of the dangers of swollen rivers after five teenagers had to be saved from a loose jetty.

The teenagers were brought to safety by two quick-thinking dog walkers with an extendable lead after they got into trouble at Bathampton Weir, near Bath.

A witness said the teenagers were "mucking about" on the fast-flowing river on Monday before the jetty came loose, leaving them stranded.

Avon Fire and Rescue said the families of those involved had been spoken to. 

The teenagers, believed to be aged 13 to 16, were heading for a weir when they were spotted.

A woman, who asked not to be named, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "By the time we saw them they were getting stressed because the river was running quite quickly. 

"One of the girls was panicking. They were right in the middle with no control whatsoever.

"I know that stretch of water is dangerous. We needed to do something to help them."

After three attempts the woman's husband managed to get an extendable dog lead to the group which was then attached to a rope on the front of the jetty and they were pulled to safety.

The couple, from Lower Swainswick, were only there by chance to walk a friend's cockapoos and, without the extendable lead, the woman said there would have been no way to reach the teenagers. 

"It could have been fine, but it could have been an absolute disaster," she added.

She said that the group "scarpered" before emergency services arrived.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service said crews from Bath Fire Station were called at 17:32 GMT and on arrival they made the jetty safe.

The service later issued an appeal on Twitter to identify the teenagers.

A spokesperson said: "We've spoken to their families and have invited those who were aboard the jetty to the station to find out more about the hidden dangers beneath the water's surface.

"In the winter months water levels are higher and, with recent poor weather, the water levels are further increased, have more debris and are moving faster.

"Those involved on the jetty were lucky they managed to self-rescue as it could have been a much worse outcome."

Councillor Kevin Guy said he and fellow Bathavon North ward member Sarah Warren had put a lifebuoy next to the weir because of the tragic incident in May 2020 when two people died. 

"It's important that everyone is educated about the dangers of fast-flowing water at this time of year," he said. 

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