Water safety signs installed following boy's drowning
Getty ImagesNew water safety signage is set to be installed at six sites across Oxford's waterways, after a teenage boy drowned during a heatwave last month.
Oxford City Council said it would be adding new signage and public rescue equipment at half a dozen sites that it owns across the city, following a review.
Tumbling Bay, Longbridges, Hinksey Lake, Fiddlers Island, Wolvercote Mill Stream and Sunnymead Park are all set to benefit from the new signs and equipment.
"While Oxford's rivers may look inviting, especially in hot weather, there are risks from uneven surfaces, cold water shock, strong currents and submerged objects in the water," deputy leader of the council, Anna Railton, said.
"I hope that the installation of these new signs will help people to understand the dangers of wild swimming in these locations and advice on what to do if someone is in danger."
Family HandoutThe council said the new signs would "reflect the specific different risks at each site, from deep water, submerged objects, and strong currents".
Signs will also include what-three-words locations to help direct emergency services to the correct location in the case of an emergency.
They come following a council-commissioned review conducted by the Royal Life Saving Society, and will be installed by the end of June.
The local authority stressed that it "does not encourage wild swimming" in Oxford's waterways and that "those who choose to swim do so at their own risk".
Temperatures in the UK are expected to soar above 30C over the coming days, with amber heat health warnings issued by the UK Health Security Agency.
The fresh signage comes after several injuries and deaths which have occurred on Oxford's waterways in recent years - including Baltazar Cabral Lay Da Costa.
An inquest opening into the 14-year-old's death on 27 May heard that he died near Donnington Bridge after he got into difficulty while swimming with friends during the half term holiday.