PARENTS have been warning teenagers over the dangers of swimming in reservoirs after a group was seen going in water in Lostock.

A large group of teenagers was seen drinking alcohol and swimming at High Rid Reservoir on Monday night.

United Utilities said that the group was abusive towards a ranger when they were asked to move on.

The group was jumping into the reservoir on the same night a teenager drowned in Rochdale, he had been underwater for five minutes when emergency services were called.

Police, paramedics and the fire service attended and an underwater search was carried out and a body was discovered.

The stories have sparked a number of comments on social media with many parents taking to The Bolton News’ Facebook page to warn their children.

A number tagged their teenagers in the post to highlight just how dangerous swimming in reservoirs can be.

It comes as research by United Utilities showed that almost one in three people in Bolton would take a dip in a reservoir in the warm weather.

The company runs a number of Bolton reservoirs, including Higher Rid, and asked more than a thousand people across the North West ‘if the weather was good, would you consider swimming in a reservoir?’.

Of the respondents in Bolton, 31.3 per cent said that they would.

United Utilities warning has come ahead of the summer season when people are most likely to take the plunge.

Alongside the tragic death in Rochdale, United Utilities has said that 300 people in the UK lost their lives in 2016 due to accidental drowning.

Matt Upton, United Utilities’ water catchment manager said: “We’re expecting thousands of visitors to our reservoir sites this summer. We only have one condition – please stay out of the water. The last thing we want is for a fun day out to turn into a tragedy.

“While teenagers are the most likely to put themselves in harm’s way, we’ve seen adults and even parents with young children taking the plunge, not realising just how much danger they are in.

“We don’t want to stop people from having an adventurous summer. But there are much safer ways to get an adrenaline fix.”

Risks reservoirs pose include sudden drops, hidden machinery, unpredictable currents and freezing water.

Many reservoirs, including Higher Rid, have signs warning people not to go swimming.

To gain access to the water at Higher Rid, the locks to the reservoir had been cut and the group also left behind a large amount of litter.

United Utilities said that teenagers swimming at Higher Rid is a recurring problem every time the weather is hot.

A group also had to be moved on by a ranger on Tuesday morning and once again became abusive when they were asked to leave.

A spokesman added that Greenbooth Reservoir show how dangerous reservoirs can be and why United Utilities’ safety campaign is so important.

The spokesman continued: “Our message is very simple, don’t take the risk, keep out of the water. We hope people will talk to their teenagers and try to press the message home.”

Advice from the fire service is to never drink alcohol before swimming or just before.