Sheffield drowning tragedy: Measures put in place to deter swimming in park’s lake

They have now appeared along the waterside at Crookes Valley Park, as well as at the entrances to the lake area of the park, where a man died on Sunday, July 18 after police had received calls that he had got into difficulty in the water.

Notices have been put up on railings, and on posts, bearing the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service logo and a warning depicting a skull and crossbones and carrying the words: “Danger – deep water. No Swimming”.

It also reads: “You don’t know what’s underneath. It’s far colder than it looks. Dangerous currents lie beneath the surface.”

Alongside them are yellow signs bearing the Sheffield council logo and displaying a figure standing on the edge of the water, and carrying the words: “Danger. Deep water. No swimming.”

But tributes to the man who died on Sunday are no longer present in the park.

Last week, flowers and candles had been placed on the banks, with the candles lit in tribute to the man whose body was found in the water by rescue teams just before midnight on Sunday, after police had earlier been called to the scene with reports that someone had got into trouble in the water.

Swimmers were immediately back in the water the following day. And people who had been at the water’s edge yesterday said there had been people in the water again yesterday, more than a week after the incident.

Police are yet to name the man who died. No date has yet been set for the opening of an inquest into the death by Sheffield’s coroner, whose office is now investigating the death.

Councillor Alison Teal, Sheffield Council’s executive member for parks and leisure, said after the death last week: “While we don’t yet know the full details of what happened, we need to remind people – please, please, don’t swim in the water at Crookes Valley Park.

“There are signs up at the park and we ask people to stay out of the water, which is not safe for swimming.”

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Thank you. Nancy Fielder, editor.