FILMING for an innovative new safety campaign has taken place at a Northern Dales reservoir.

'Dying to be Cool' aims to highlight the dangers of swimming in cold, open water during hot weather and filming took place at Cod Beck reservoir near Osmotherley on Friday.

Filming for safety DVD

The hard hitting DVD on the dangers of swimming in open water is being made by the Hambleton Community Safety Partnership and follows two deaths at the site in the last two years. During the same period, a youngster was rescued from the reservoir after getting in to difficulty.

Local teenagers joined forces with the partnership to film a fictional emergency at Cod Beck. It has been made with the full cooperation of the emergency services and Yorkshire Water. Once completed, the film will be screened to teenagers across the region - through schools and youth clubs as well as to visitors at open water sites across the county.

Last weeks fictional event saw a group of teenagers enjoying an afternoon by the water's edge. Everything was going well until one of them decided to go for a swim, got into difficulty and drowned in the cold water.

Fictional scenario highlights water danger

The teenagers were played by a group of former Bedale High School students with a member of the White Horse Swim Team from Thirsk playing the part of the swimmer. Ambulance crews, paramedics, fire fighters, police officers, the air ambulance and Yorkshire Water officers all attended and were filmed as if responding to a real life situation.

According to the latest statistics supplied by RoSPA 52 percent of drownings in the UK happened in rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs.

"Although reservoirs look tempting places to cool off on a hot summers day they are deep and cold with strong undercurrents," said Partnership Chairman, Rosemary Taylor.

"Even in summer the temperature of the water is always below 12?C - far too cold to swim in. Even the strongest of swimmers will be affected by the cold - their body will shut down and they will get into trouble. We want people to continue to enjoy coming to places like Cod Beck - to visit and to go home in safety, not in a body bag."

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