Idyllic summer outing to the River Medway turns into wave of 'hideous' sickness for 12 swimmers
Wild swimming in polluted river leads to hospitalisation and acute pain: ‘I was unable to move’Caption: Claire Pierrot, hospitalised after wild swimming Supplied by: E Odwyer-CunliffeIt seemed liked the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer’s day. But an idyllic wild swim in a river in rural Kent led to hospitalisation, morphine, intravenous drips and a nightmare week of sickness for one group of unsuspecting bathers.
Campaigners say the incident on the River Medway near Tonbridge earlier this month is indicative of a much wider problem of polluted rivers that can be unsafe to swim in. Two of the five children among Claire Pierrot’s group jumping into the Medway on the day that left them ill Picture by George Amessurroundings. But within 24 hours, some in the group started feeling ill, with nausea, headaches and vomiting.