A dramatic rescue operation took place Monday night after two people entered the lake at Frampton Sailing Club and got into serious difficulty in the water.
At around 6pm on Monday evening, after all members had left the site and the gates had been locked, the pair accessed the lake unauthorised. Their cries for help were heard by a nearby resident, who immediately raised the alarm.
In a race against time, a club keyholder was urgently located to allow emergency services access to the site, with two ambulances attending the incident.
Julian Hardy, Commodore at the club, told Stroud Times that two members came to the aid of the swimmers after they got into difficulty in the water: “In these extreme temperatures it is understandable to want to cool off and the Townsfield lake is very tempting, however it is extremely dangerous and prohibited. We have been fortunate to have extremely vigilant members of the Frampton-on-Severn community who tonight came to the rescue of two people who entered the lake unauthorised and got into serious difficulties. Please do not be tempted to enter the lake without authorisation. Thank you.”
The club is now reinforcing national advice from the RNLI and water-safety organisations, which strongly warn against swimming in lakes, reservoirs or unsupervised open water. Hidden hazards, cold-water shock, sudden depth changes and underwater obstructions can prove life-threatening — even for experienced swimmers.
A spokesperson for the club added: “We are proud to offer a safe, well-managed environment for sailing and water activities. All our coaches are RYA certified and we only ever run sessions where people in the water are monitored by experienced crews on safety boats.
“This weekend demonstrated the very best of our community and our beautiful lake — but it also highlighted the dangers of entering the lake outside supervised, authorised sessions.
“We are extremely grateful to the neighbour and keyholder whose quick actions prevented a far worse outcome. Please stay safe this summer — and if you’d like to enjoy the water properly, why not become a member and learn to sail with us instead?”
The club is urging members of the public not to enter the lake under any circumstances unless participating in authorised, supervised activities.
