(Image: FACEBOOK)
“Irresponsible” cliff jumpers plunged 62ft off a County Durham waterfall in what police say could “easily have ended in tragedy”.
Two men were “lucky to have left the water unscathed” after launching themselves off the top of High Force waterfall, in Teesdale, last week.
The incident, which was captured on video and posted to Facebook on Friday (August 14), has sparked outrage, with Durham Police branding it “extremely irresponsible and selfish”.
The footage also shows the laughing group gloat to a staff member of Raby Estates, which owns and maintains the site, about the jump.
The staff member responds: "Do you realise you just risked your life doing that?"
A screengrab of the incident at High Force
(Image: FACEBOOK)
High Force is not unfamiliar with tragedy, with several people dying after getting into difficulty there, including 16-year-old Curtis Atherton, from Hartlepool, in 2016.
Others have had lucky escapes, including cliff jumper Matty Harper, who was held under the water by a current for seven seconds after backflipping off the top in 2018.
Andrew Lindsey, general manager of the High Force Hotel, said Raby Estates is “extremely concerned” by the “life-threatening” incident.
He urged people to never enter the water or attempt to jump in the falls, saying the depth, current and conditions can be "unpredictable", and warning of cold water shock.
And Fiona Gosling, whose son Cameron died after jumping from a rock into the River Wear in Bishop Auckland in 2015, branded the incident "seriously dangerous and so stupid".
'Potentially fatal consequences'
Mr Lindsey said entering the water can "quickly become life-threatening".
“While jumping from the waterfall was itself extremely irresponsible, we are also concerned that footage has subsequently been shared on social media," he said.
“Publishing this type of content risks encouraging others to imitate dangerous behaviour without appreciating the potentially fatal consequences.
High Force.
(Image: David Forster)
“No photograph, video or social media post is worth risking your life for.
“The High Force area is covered by a Public Spaces Protection Order and, given the seriousness of this incident, the matter has been reported to Durham Police.”
Mr Lindsey said the team member who the group spoke to had worked at High Force for many years and had “sadly experienced previous incidents in which people have lost their lives here”.
He said: “It is particularly upsetting for our team to see people deliberately putting themselves at such significant risk.
"We want everyone who visits High Force to enjoy the landscape and scenery of the North Pennines and, most importantly, to return home safely.
“We ask all visitors to remain on the designated paths and viewing areas and never to enter the water at High Force for any reason.”
'It is not just putting one life at risk'
Ms Gosling, who has spent more than a decade raising awareness of water safety in memory of her son, described the plunge pool at High Force and other places as "like a washing machine".
Fiona Gosling
(Image: CDDFRS)
She said: "You are not only putting yourself at risk but everybody around you as well.
"Your friends don’t tend to leave you [if you get into difficulty], they go in and help. The first thing you think is you have got to get them out.
“It is not just one life potentially at risk, it is two if not three lives."
She also said it was even more irresponsible to film and publish the incident online: "If you are filming yourself and putting it on social media, people will say ‘oh it looks quite good I will have to give it a try myself’.
"It is seriously dangerous and so stupid. It only takes a couple of seconds."
Over the years, High Force has been the scene of several tragic incidents.
In 2007, Daniel Davies, 30, from Jarrow, died when he lost his balance and fell from the top of the waterfall.
In 2016, Curtis Atherton, died just four days before his birthday when he got into trouble swimming at the pool area below the waterfall.
Curtis Atherton, 16, of Hartlepool, died after getting into trouble swimming near High Force.
In 2018, cliff jumper Matty warned that he was "lucky to be alive" after jumping off the top.
Following the incident last week, a Durham Police spokeswoman said: “This is extremely irresponsible and selfish behaviour which could very easily have ended in tragedy.
"The River Tees, particularly around High Force, is a dangerous and powerful body of water with unpredictable and powerful currents, and hidden hazards.
“These people are lucky to have left the water unscathed.
“We’d strongly advise people not to copy this behaviour and to not put themselves or the emergency services at risk for some likes on social media.”
Alun Ross, HART and resilience manager at North East Ambulance Service, also warned of the potential hidden hazards.
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He said: "We don't want to deter people from enjoying outdoor activities or spoil anyone's fun, but extreme sports and high-risk challenges require appropriate planning, safety cover and, where necessary, the right level of skill and experience.
"This is not only a high jump into cold water with potential hidden hazards below the surface, but it is also taking place close to a powerful waterfall, creating additional risks around submersion and escape.
"We would encourage people to assess the risks carefully and avoid putting themselves or the emergency services in unnecessary danger."