‘I spent five days in hospital’: Surge in swimmers falling ill from polluted UK waters

Shelley Sim spent five days in hospital with severe gastroenteritis and dehydration - (Surfers Against Sewage)

A UK woman was forced to spend five days in hospital with severe gastroenteritis after swimming in the sea as hospitalisations from water-borne diseases increased by 60 per cent since 2010.

East Lothian-based carer Shelley Sim had enjoyed a swim near her home east of Edinburgh to celebrate a friend’s birthday last year when she woke up with stomach pains and fatigue.

After speaking to her GP, she was told to urgently attend hospital and underwent several weeks of appointments which led to a final diagnosis of cryptosporidium – a disease contracted by swimming in contaminated water.

Diseases such as dysentery and Weil’s disease have led to swimmers becoming critically unwell after swimming in open water, with hospitalisations increasing from 2,085 people in 2010-11 to 3,286 in 2022-23.

Following her experience, Ms Sim said: “I’m no longer swimming every day, and I’m more cautious about getting into the water. The sea is where I go for my mental health, to get away from stress of being a carer.

As a carer to her son, her illness impacted his mental health (Surfers Against Sewage)

The swimmer said that while she used to just check the tide, she was now forced to check sewage outfalls, especially after heavy rain, to avoid a repeat of the nightmare experience.

“It impacted my son’s mental health. He has OCD, ADHD and autism and I'm his carer. My illness caused a lot of anxieties and stress,” she said.

A recent survey conducted by Surfers Against Sewage and the organisation 38 Degrees found that out of 28,458 participants, 78 per cent were angry with the state of the UK’s waterways, and less than five per cent trusted their water company to end sewage pollution.

Cases of Weil’s disease, which can cause kidney failure and liver damage, had risen in 2023 with 122 people diagnosed, double the number in 2010. The disease is spread through water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, while cases of typhoid had also increased.

Nearly 80 per cent of survey participants were angry with the state of the UK’s waters (PA)

Miriam, a surfer from Cornwall, suffered two episodes of sickness in 2024 after contracting a stomach bug twice while out surfing.

“Sickness from the water affected me mentally, as I found myself feeling anxious in the weeks after the sickness episode about entering the water, a place where I usually spend a lot of time,” she said.

“I spend most of my weekends surfing. It just made me angry, as the water is somewhere I go to relax and unwind, and this shouldn't be somewhere where I feel nervous about getting ill. Physically, the illness wiped me out. Picking up a stomach bug meant I lost a lot of weight, and I felt pretty weak and fatigued. I had to take six days off work.

“I think sewage pollution has massively impacted the surfing community. I know a lot of mates who have been sick from the water. It's just not a nice thought knowing that a hobby you love so much can also put you at risk of becoming unwell. It doesn't sit comfortably.”

A man with Thames Water watches as a tanker pumps out excess sewage (PA Archive)

As part of their evidence submitted to the Independent Water Commission on Wednesday, Surfers Against Sewage conducted a second survey among their supporters, where 98 per cent of 3,000 participants said they had lost trust in the system.

Meanwhile, over a quarter reported becoming unwell after entering a river, lake or sea over the last two years, and over 80 per cent agreed that the actions of their water company have negatively impacted their local community.

Speaking to The Independent, Surfers Against Sewage CEO Giles Bristow, said: “It shows just how frustrated and overwhelmingly angry the British public are and how much radical transformation is required.

Surfers Against Sewage are organising a Paddle Out protest on 17 May to raise awareness of water pollution (Emily Whitfield-Wicks) (PA)

“The public are furious. We were all cooped up in our bedrooms during the Covid-19 pandemic and after the lockdown was lifted, people wanted to go out and enjoy our rivers and lakes and to reconnect with nature. However, people have seen that the natural environment is changing before their eyes.”

This evidence has now been submitted to Sir Jon Cunliffe, the former deputy Bank of England governor who is chairing over the Independent Water Commission, which is set to release its interim report in May.

Meanwhile, Surfers Against Sewage are organising a Paddle Out protest on 17 May in seaside communities across the UK, to raise awareness of water pollution.

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