Men in trunks at freezing Salford Quays reckless, councillor says

The council said the men were filmed at a point in the day when "temperatures had dropped below zero"

Two men who were seen "in swimming trunks" near freezing waters were "utterly reckless", a council has said.

Salford City Council said video footage showed the men drying themselves near the Water Sports Centre on the city's quays at about 19:00 GMT on Sunday.

Councillor Barbara Bentham said if the men were not "trained to swim in cold water then they are lucky to be alive".

The video was taken on the same day three boys fell into an icy lake in the West Midlands. The boys later died.

The council said the footage, which was shot by a member of the public, showed "two young men in swimming trunks with towels on a pontoon close to the Water Sports Centre" at a point in the day when "temperatures had dropped below zero".

A representative said the video appeared to show one man drying his hair.

'Moment of madness'

Ms Bentham said if the men were "experienced cold water swimmers, then going into the Quays in the dark by themselves on a freezing December night is utterly reckless".

"If they are not trained to swim in cold water, then they are lucky to be alive," she said.

She said the council had issued many warnings that open water was cold even on the hottest days of the year.

"I cannot begin to imagine how cold the water must have been and I hope this was just a one-off moment of madness," she added.

"Cold water shock can affect even the strongest swimmers which is why people should only ever swim in the Quays as part of an organised and supervised session for their safety."

The council said it had increased CCTV patrols and would report dangerous incidents to the police.

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