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Swimming in the Thames is a pipe dream many Londoners have had since swimming outside got the big rebrand to ‘wild swimming’. Sadiq Khan first announced his ambitious plan to make the whole river swimmable by 2034 when he was re-elected in 2024. But how safe would that actually be?
In a City Hall meeting yesterday (Thursday 9 January) an official from the Port of London Authority (PLA) raised a concern that Khan’s messaging would encourage Londoners to swim in the Thames’ dangerous tides.
‘We’ve worked really hard over the last 15 years to reduce the number of deaths that we get in the Thames,’ said Grace Rawnsley, the PLA’s director of sustainability.
‘Every year, people die by going into the water, in the tidal Thames… In 2023, I think there were 31 deaths in the tidal Thames, from people going in when they shouldn’t have gone in, or accidents, etc. In 2022, I believe 109 rescues happened in the tidal Thames, from people going in.’
The PLA has warned that although some sections of the Thames may become swimmable thanks to cleaning up the water, swimming anywhere east of Putney Bridge is prohibited due to strong tides and other dangers. ‘Powerful tides running at around five miles an hour will overpower even the strongest swimmers,’ Rawnsley said.
The PLA also warned that the Thames is the UK’s busiest inland waterway, with more than 20,000 ship movements across it every year.
In September 2024, the Mayor’s office published a map highlighting where Londoners can safely swim outdoors. The map stated that ‘the tidal Thames is not safe to swim in’, and it instead told Londoners to enjoy locations like Hampstead Ponds, the Serpentine in Hyde Park, and the Royal Docks next to City Hall.
A spokesperson for the Mayor said in response to Rawnsley: ‘The Thames and its tributaries are the lifeblood of London, which the mayor is committed to cleaning up and protecting so that all Londoners can safely enjoy the benefits of nature – including swimming where safe to do so.
‘The tidal part of the Thames will never be safe to swim in, but the Port of London Authority is responsible for ensuring this water is more generally safe and accessible to the public. The mayor was delighted that the Port of London Authority joined him in pledging to turn the tide on our neglected waterways.’
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