POLICE, fire and safety officers have issued swift warnings about swimming in rivers following the death of a Preston teenager on Bank Holiday Monday.

Robert Calvert, 19, of Derry Road, Ribbleton, died after diving in the River Ribble, near Avenham Park, Preston.

He told friends he was going to swim to the other side but strong currents carried him away.

A friend tried to rescue him and was also swept along by the current but he managed to swim back to shore as Robert disappeared.

The police helicopter used heat-sensitive equipment to locate him, along with fire and rescue services.

Robert was pulled out of the water near The Continental pub but paramedics failed to revive him and he was dead on arrival at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service's John Taylor said: "The officer in charge said that despite it being a hot day the water was still incredibly cold.

"We don't want to preclude a coroner's report, but we would like to warn people that it is a hazard to swim in rivers and lakes because they remain cold, despite the weather.

"The best advice we can give is to restrict your swimming to a public pool, however tempting a river or lake may seem on a hot day.

"Even adult and proficient swimmers can easily find themselves in trouble."

His sentiments were echoed by acting sergeant Paddy O'Neill of Preston police who added: "We would warn members of the public not to go swimming in unsupervised waters, such as rivers, lakes and ponds.

"Despite the attraction of taking a dip in the hot summer weather, we would urge members of the public to avoid it as we want to avoid further tragedies."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.