Authorities tell people not to swim in ‘dangerous’ Mermaids Pool
AUTHORITIES have warned people not to swim in Mermaids Pool at Tahmoor after another person was injured at the popular waterhole on Sunday.
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IT’S a popular swimming spot for locals during the hot summer months but authorities are warning people not to swim in Mermaids Pool at Tahmoor after another person was injured at the waterhole on Sunday.
The 22-year-old man suffered head injuries and had to be winched out by a helicopter after falling while trying to climb up a rope.
The incident follows that of a 19-year-old Irish tourist who was rescued by a helicopter after swinging on a rope and hitting a rock face before falling into the water on December 30 last year.
Wollondilly Mayor Judy Hannan said Mermaids Pool was an unsafe swimming location and she encouraged people to make use of the region’s other waterholes.
“We’re trying to reach people who are using social media to get the message across that it isn’t safe,” she said.
“By all means go for a bushwalk but it is dangerous to swim at Mermaids Pool; we have Thirlmere Lakes and Pot Holes reserve where it is much safer to swim.
“Diving or jumping into any river is dangerous, but jumping from an elevated rock platform in an area that has no vehicular access, limited mobile phone coverage and no safe means of climbing back out of the river is extremely dangerous.”
Due to Mermaids Pool’s isolated location, Wollondilly Council maintains it can’t provide a lifeguard service as the area lacks facilities and proper communication capabilities to establish a service.
Inspector Michael Bright, from Camden police, said the area was difficult for emergency services to access.
“Over the past 14 months many people have been injured jumping into the water, with quite a few suffering serious injuries requiring the NSW Ambulance helicopter to attend and winch them out,” he said.
“In December 2016 a 27-year-old male international student from Pakistan died at the location.”
Wollondilly Council general manager Luke Johnson said people who parked on Rockford Rd near Mermaids Pool would be fined as there was no public parking or on-road parking available.