A TEENAGE swimmer who died in a cold reservoir on a hot day probably had an attack of cramp, an inquest heard.

A jury returned a verdict of accidental death on Jonathan Ashebu, 16, of Carnforth Close, Blackburn, who was a competent swimmer but drowned in Fishmoor Reservoir on July 30,

And the inquest revealed that there were no signs warning of the danger of the cold water at the time because they had recently been vandalised.

Mark Dickinson, 21, of Lytham Road, was with Jonathan that day and told how they and their friends had to climb over a small wall to get to the water.

"We decided to swim over to the other side and I knew there was a risk and suggested we should all go together in case anyone got into any difficulties," he said.

"It was a fair distance but I wasn't bothered about Jonathan because he was a good swimmer.

"Jonathan set off after us and we heard someone shouting after that he had gone under." Police divers entered the reservoir at 4pm and found him lying on the bottom, ten metres from the bank in four metres of water with no obstructions nearby and the nearest reservoir pump more than 100 metres away.

Mrs Barbara Murphy, Jonathan's mother, said: "I've lived in the Fishmoor area all my life.

"I know where the kids get to the reservoir without climbing over any wall even though there's barbed wire."

Paul Holt, territory manager at Blackburn Waste Water Treatment works, said: "Fishmoor has the highest amount of vandalism that I have ever come across in all my years.

"Over the last two years we have spent £110,000 just repairing the wave wall alone at Fishmoor.

"We have 160 reservoirs in the region and we don't have to spend anything at some of them."

The jury also heard that the signs were regularly checked three times a week.

Coroner Andre Rebello said it was the height of recklessness and stupidity to swim in water other than swimming pools and warned people of the risks of doing so.

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