'No swimming' signs vandalised days before teens drowned

Two teenagers drowned in a water reserve in Norfolk just days after 'no swimming' signs installed at the site were ripped down by vandals.

Bonheur Musungay, 14, and Stella Kambi, 17, died on Wednesday after getting into difficulty at Thorpe Marshes Reserve.

Brendan Joyce, chief executive of Norfolk Wildlife Trust, told The Daily Mail that the warning signs placed around the reserve on Monday were almost immediately removed by vandals.

He said: "We put up 'no swimming' signs around the former gravel pit, warning of the dangers of swimming in the area, but these are often vandalised and ripped down."

According to The Guardian, only one sign could be seen at the beach area warning of algae and another was visible at the entrance to the reserve.

Emergency services were called to the site, in Thorpe St Andrew, at about 4.50pm on Wednesday following reports of the teens getting into difficulty in the water.

A member of the public raised the alarm resulting in an intense three-hour rescue operation, Norfolk Police said.

The bodies of the teenagers were recovered from the water at about 7.20pm and despite were pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

The teenagers, who live in Norwich, had been at the lake enjoying a day out with family when the incident happened.

Bonheur had got into difficulty while swimming and Stella tried to help before getting into trouble herself.

Detective Sergeant Sarah Knights said members of the public had entered the water before emergency services arrived but were unable to help the boy and girl.

She added: "A number of witnesses were spoken to at the scene and we will now continue to working together with partners to piece together what happened and post mortems will take place in due course."

"I would urge people to take the utmost care around water and to be aware of hidden dangers such as fast flowing currents and underwater obstacles and weeds."

Nigel Williams, Norfolk's Chief Fire Officer, said: "We responded quickly to the call, with up to 40 officers on the scene, including our dive team and urban search and rescue team.

"Tragically there was nothing we could do and two young people have lost their lives, highlighting the danger of swimming in open water."

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