‘For a few seconds on social media, you risk losing your life’: Coastguard’s warning after boy attempted to drink alcohol then rescue girl from the water in ‘idiotic’ drowning prank gone wrong
A girl who can’t swim but willingly went into dock waters for a youtube prank had to be rescued by emergency services.
The teenager immersed herself at Albert Dock in Liverpool yesterday evening, holding a bottle of alcohol.
She and a male friend had planned that the boy would swim out to her, drink the contents of the bottle and then rescue her in a bid to gain likes for social media.
But the prank failed and a rescue team had to pull the girl out of the water after the boy swam to safety, with police, paramedics and fire crew all attending the scene.
The failed stunt has prompted officials to issue a warning to others not to do the same.
Ben Hambling for HM Coastguard said: ‘Please don’t get involved in pranks for social media involving swimming and alcohol.
‘For a few seconds on social media, you risk losing your life. Every year, the coastguard deals with fatal incidents, where alcohol is a causal factor.
‘Please don’t drink and drown.’
Another spokesman at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: ‘Earlier this evening a girl and boy were recovered from the water at Alfred Dock, Seacombe.
‘The girl, a non-swimmer, had gone into the water with a bottle of alcohol.
‘The boy intended to swim out to her, drink the bottle, and then attempt to rescue her. The prank was being filmed by another friend for social media.
‘As the prank started to go horribly wrong, the police received a 999 call.
‘The police then contacted the Coastguard who sent the New Brighton and Crosby Coastguard Rescue Teams and the New Brighton RNLI Inshore Lifeboat.
‘Mersey Fire and Rescue, Mersey Police and the North West Ambulance Service also attended.
‘The male self recovered and police threw a line to the female and recovered her from the water.’
The prank was condemned by people on social media.
Jeannette Mackay said: ‘Although no actual laws were (probably?) broken, community service washing the RNLI boatyards etc would give these utter plonkers something to do that their mate could film.
‘If they have any sense of responsibility they should fundraise to recoup some of the costs incurred of rescue.’
Jan Barnes said: ‘Why? Just why? For goodness sake, are these idiots really walking the streets?
‘Set them to fundraising and cleaning equipment for the emergency services.’