# From bbc.co.uk/news



## EvilWeevil (Jun 4, 2008)

Just saw this...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7435000.stm

I'm assuming that it's no-one from on here as it seems to be kids that were just hanging around. It's a shame, and a grim way to go. Serves as a warning too.


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## Jondoe_264 (Jun 4, 2008)

EvilWeevil said:


> Just saw this...
> 
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/7435000.stm
> 
> I'm assuming that it's no-one from on here as it seems to be kids that were just hanging around. It's a shame, and a grim way to go. Serves as a warning too.



That is very sad. It doesn't sound like they were actually exploring the culvert, rather got into some sort of trouble and ended up in it. Tragic.


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## snappel (Jun 4, 2008)

If nothing else, it's a reminder that none of this is safe. Which is a good thing. Obviously it would be easy to label them chavs, and say they were doing this that or the other, but I expect (well, I _know_) that some of the more seasoned drainers have had some close ones themselves.


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## Jondoe_264 (Jun 4, 2008)

snappel said:


> If nothing else, it's a reminder that none of this is safe. Which is a good thing. Obviously it would be easy to label them chavs, and say they were doing this that or the other, but I expect (well, I _know_) that some of the more seasoned drainers have had some close ones themselves.



One of the most overlooked aspects of exploring drains of any nature is the fact that 99% of the time you're likely to be exploring in an operational/active environment, which equates to various risk factors that are entirely outside of your control or any ability to reasonably calculate for them. 

We've had at least one incident where the problem we found ourself facing was as a result of standard operations for the work that was taking place in the system on that day. We had no means of knowing what procedures were planned for the day in that particular system, the operating company would have accounted for all their employees prior to beginning operations; and so not expecting any need to consider other people being in the system the operating company proceeded to divert massive volumes of water in to the area that we were in! It's a risk that is largely un-factorable.

Of course this particular tragic incident doesn't appear to be exploring related, it's an awful occurence whatever the circumstances.

JD


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## Bunk3r (Jun 4, 2008)

from what i have read the area floods often and onto fields, which children/ youths then go play in the flood waters, this seemed to be the case on this day but for whatever reason (I suspect they wondered into the main flow of the water) two got sweped down stream, reports seam to say they were trapped 'in' the culvert down stream of where they played and reports also say they were trapped on the infall grill to the culvert, so it sounds most like they were indeed trapped on the infall grill I dont know why some reports say 'in the culvert' maybe the grill is slightly inside the entrance (bad design if it is), maybe its just bad reporting (again).

incidentally this is very similar to the incident in Hull June last year, again at the time report were unclear (talk of trapped in a manhole etc), but i live very close to where it happened and know the drain (one I had looked up and found to be too small to bother with (3 foot RCP a culverted land drain)), in that incident the person was clearing debris from the culverts infall to help ease the flooding and got caught in the temporary grating (now replaced with a new shiny one).

in short water is powerful!


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