A 16-year-old boy drowned in a quarry near Cambridge after ignoring warnings and attempting to swim to a platform.
About thirty young people went there and ignored a security guard who told them to leave. Signs warned of dangers, and the lakes were marked as dangerous.
Dishone wasn’t a strong swimmer, but he tried to swim to a platform where other teens were already swimming. He got into trouble midway and went under the water quickly. Other swimmers tried to find him but struggled due to bad visibility.
Emergency services arrived soon after, and they found Dishone’s body the next day. The tragedy occurred August 12, 2024, when the temperature reached 34.8C.
Dishone was from Harlow, Essex, and had told his mom he would shop, mentioning swimming too. He didn’t say it was in those lakes, though. Police said a fishing club leases the lakes, and that there’s fencing, danger signs, old machinery, and gear present.
Dishone’s friend, Michael, gave a statement stating they knew it would be hot and knew about the lakes. They hopped a train and walked through fence gaps.
Though the security officer told them to leave, they ignored this warning. They jumped off cliffs and floated, while some swam to a platform further away. Dishone tried to follow them.
Michael saw Dishone panic and start to splash around a lot before disappearing under the water. Swimmers tried to help him, and they called for an ambulance quickly.
The water’s poor quality hindered the search, and his body was found six meters deep. Security called police about trespassing earlier, around 3 p.m., regarding the group.
Police told him it wasn’t urgent, and he spent 14 minutes on hold. Police then got a call from paramedics about the teen in the water; this was after 5 p.m.
Dishone’s mom doesn’t blame others, knowing her son made a choice. However, she stated others drowned there before and she thinks the lake needs to be drained.
The coroner noted the site had security, and the officer took the right steps. She ruled Dishone’s death an accident by drowning and offered condolences to his mom.