Latest news with #ShelleySim
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The Independent
23-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
‘I spent five days in hospital': Surge in swimmers falling ill from polluted UK waters
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. 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. 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.' 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. '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.
Daily Mirror
22-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'I went for a swim in the sea and ended up in hospital for five days'
Shelley woke up with stomach pains and her doctor told her to get to A&E urgently A woman was hospitalised for five days after swimming in the sea off the UK coast. Shelley Sim took a dip with her swim group to celebrate a friend's birthday - but woke up the next morning with stomach pains and fatigue. Her GP told her to go to the hospital urgently, where she remained for five days due to severe gastroenteritis and dehydration. Following her initial stay in hospital, Shelley underwent several weeks of appointments which led to a final diagnosis of cryptosporidium – a diarrheal disease contracted by swimming in contaminated water. Shelley, a carer from East Lothian, Scotland, 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. The first thing I do now is check outfalls. "That's good, but it comes from a place of fear. I shouldn't be doing this. I should be checking the tide, not when was it heavy rain and if there were any spills." '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.' Shelley shared her story after a new report revealed that Scottish Water's sewage discharges could be as high as 364,629 - an average of more than one discharge every 90 seconds. At the end of last year, Scottish Water published its first public data on its sewage overflows. Scottish Water admitted to having near 4,080 combined sewage overflows – where sewage is released directly into waterways or the sea – yet only 1,116 appear on its sewage discharge map. The Water Quality Report by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) found that Scottish Water has the highest average discharge rate, at 89.3 discharges per CSO, of any water company in the UK, and the missing data shows that Scottish Water failed to report 73% of discharges in real time. This has led to swimmers and surfers being unable to track polluted waters and figure out when and where it is safe to swim. Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said: 'These sewage figures are appalling, and yet they are likely just the tip of the fatberg, due to Scottish Water's reckless approach to monitoring and public safety. 'Scotland's coastline, lochs and rivers are some of the most stunning on the planet, with surfers, swimmers and paddleboarders wanting to make the most of these beautiful blue spaces. But these waters are far from pristine. With no legal requirement to issue sewage alerts in Scotland, water users have no idea whether or not it's safe to enter the water. "People are getting sick and yet Scottish Water are standing idly by, happy to sweep the scale of the sewage scandal in its waters under the carpet. SAS provides sewage alerts via the Safer Seas and Rivers Service in England and Wales, however, Scottish Water's inaction will mean the Scottish map will remain blank this year, with surfers and swimmers gambling with their health each time they dive in. He addressed Scottish Water directly, stating: "You're polluting your incredible wild waters and leaving the public in the dark, and at risk. It's time to step up and provide real-time sewage alerts and dramatically improve your woefully inadequate monitoring." This year's report highlights that in 2024 alone, SAS received 1,853 sickness reports. Cumulatively, the number of sick days likely linked to sewage pollution amounts to 9 years' worth, with an estimated hit to the UK economy of £493,200. SAS say these figures only cover sickness cases directly reported to their organisation, and that the true scale of sickness from poor water quality is likely to be far higher. Professor Simon Parsons, director of environment, planning and assurance for Scottish Water, told STV: 'The quality of Scotland's water environment remains high, with 87% of water bodies classed as good or better. We continue to invest in infrastructure – £500m in addition to the £2bn spent in the last decade – which helps improve it further to meet national targets. 'Our waste water treatment systems handle more than one billion litres of waste water every day and are a vital part of the water cycle in Scotland. The route map we published in 2021 set out a crystal-clear commitment to invest further, monitor performance at more locations and strive to prevent pollution incidents before these happen. "We are on track to deliver on those commitments.' Shelley became ill after a swim in the waters near Belhaven, East Lothian.
Wales Online
22-04-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Woman hospitalised for five days after going for swim in sea off UK coast
Woman hospitalised for five days after going for swim in sea off UK coast Shelley faced weeks of follow up appointments after her time in hospital Shelley Sim swims in the sea to boost her mental health A woman was hospitalised for five days after swimming in the sea off the UK coast. Shelley Sim took a dip with her swim group to celebrate a friend's birthday - but woke up the next morning with stomach pains and fatigue. Her GP told her to go to the hospital urgently, where she remained for five days due to severe gastroenteritis and dehydration. Following her initial stay in hospital, Shelley underwent several weeks of appointments which led to a final diagnosis of cryptosporidium – a diarrheal disease contracted by swimming in contaminated water. Shelley, a carer from East Lothian, Scotland, 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. The first thing I do now is check outfalls. "That's good, but it comes from a place of fear. I shouldn't be doing this. I should be checking the tide, not when was it heavy rain and if there were any spills." '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.' Article continues below Shelley shared her story after a new report revealed that Scottish Water's sewage discharges could be as high as 364,629 - an average of more than one discharge every 90 seconds. At the end of last year, Scottish Water published its first public data on its sewage overflows. Scottish Water admitted to having near 4,080 combined sewage overflows – where sewage is released directly into waterways or the sea – yet only 1,116 appear on its sewage discharge map. The Water Quality Report by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) found that Scottish Water has the highest average discharge rate, at 89.3 discharges per CSO, of any water company in the UK, and the missing data shows that Scottish Water failed to report 73% of discharges in real time. This has led to swimmers and surfers being unable to track polluted waters and figure out when and where it is safe to swim. Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said: 'These sewage figures are appalling, and yet they are likely just the tip of the fatberg, due to Scottish Water's reckless approach to monitoring and public safety. 'Scotland's coastline, lochs and rivers are some of the most stunning on the planet, with surfers, swimmers and paddleboarders wanting to make the most of these beautiful blue spaces. But these waters are far from pristine. With no legal requirement to issue sewage alerts in Scotland, water users have no idea whether or not it's safe to enter the water. "People are getting sick and yet Scottish Water are standing idly by, happy to sweep the scale of the sewage scandal in its waters under the carpet. SAS provides sewage alerts via the Safer Seas and Rivers Service in England and Wales, however, Scottish Water's inaction will mean the Scottish map will remain blank this year, with surfers and swimmers gambling with their health each time they dive in. He addressed Scottish Water directly, stating: "You're polluting your incredible wild waters and leaving the public in the dark, and at risk. It's time to step up and provide real-time sewage alerts and dramatically improve your woefully inadequate monitoring." This year's report highlights that in 2024 alone, SAS received 1,853 sickness reports. Cumulatively, the number of sick days likely linked to sewage pollution amounts to 9 years' worth, with an estimated hit to the UK economy of £493,200. SAS say these figures only cover sickness cases directly reported to their organisation, and that the true scale of sickness from poor water quality is likely to be far higher. Professor Simon Parsons, director of environment, planning and assurance for Scottish Water, told STV: 'The quality of Scotland's water environment remains high, with 87% of water bodies classed as good or better. We continue to invest in infrastructure – £500m in addition to the £2bn spent in the last decade – which helps improve it further to meet national targets. 'Our waste water treatment systems handle more than one billion litres of waste water every day and are a vital part of the water cycle in Scotland. The route map we published in 2021 set out a crystal-clear commitment to invest further, monitor performance at more locations and strive to prevent pollution incidents before these happen. Article continues below "We are on track to deliver on those commitments.' Shelley became ill after a swim in the waters near Belhaven, East Lothian.
