Firefighters say it was only "pure luck" that stopped several young people drowning, before they were rescued from fast-flowing river water in Lindfield yesterday (August 9).
Crews from Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and the service’s Technical Rescue Unit attended alongside Sussex Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service when the alarm was raised at 3.17pm.
Near East Mascalls Lane, which crosses the River Ouse, they found the youths, one of whom had been hurt.
Marvin Smith is West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service's National Resilience Flood Rescue Tactical Advisor.
He said:
“One of the group was injured but it is only pure luck that no one lost their life today.
"This incident could so easily have ended in tragedy.
“Please, please do not be tempted to swim in open water unless you are completely certain it is safe.
"The heavy recent rain has swollen river levels have rapidly increased the speed of the water, making it impossible to safely swim, even in rivers people are familiar with.
“Even if water looks calm it may not be under the surface, and cold water shock is the cause of many of the deaths we sadly see each year in rivers and lakes.”
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