A MOTHER whose son died in a river and an adventure centre leader have slammed the BBC for showing a presenter white water swimming in a stretch of River Tees which has claimed lives - with no warning of the dangers.

Watched by around six million viewers in an episode of Countryfile on April 23, Ellie Harrison was seen taking an exhilarating dip in the beautiful but treacherous rapids of Low Force, on the River Tees, in County Durham.

Outdoor education leader Rob Atkinson, who runs Kingsway Centre in Middleton-in-Teesdale with wife Abi, had agreed to run the activity for the BBC as long as the hazards of cold and wild water were made clear in the feature broadcast on the eve of Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Week.

But the safety warning filmed before she entered the water was dropped by producers when the programme aired, leading to fears people could put their lives at risks by copying her.

Fiona Gosling’s 14-year-old son Cameron died of cold water shock when he went swimming in the River Wear at Witton Park, near Bishop Auckland, in July 2015.

She said: “I watched it and the first thing my husband and I said was that she made it look inviting, exciting.

“Some people might be daft enough to think they can do the same, but it must be done in a controlled manner, with the right equipment and professionals.

“She hadn’t explained to people what she was doing, a clear safety message should have been at the start and end of it.”

Mrs Gosling has spoken to emergency service personnel who also fear it could lead to tragedy and shared her dismay at the BBC, particularly as it was .

With knowledge of lives lost in the region’s rivers and adhering to the strictest safety standards when working with children, Mr Atkinson is acutely aware of the risk the stretch of river poses.

Mr Atkinson helped search for Newcastle teacher and father-of-two Wadud Abdul, who died at the Teesdale beauty spot in May 2015 after watching a group activity during a birthday outing with his family.

And he remembers the pain of other fatalities including that of 16-year-old Curtis Atherton, of Hartlepool, who lost his life swimming near High Force last summer.

He said: “We said there had been deaths here, on the Tees and the Wear, and for us it was really important to use it as an opportunity to highlight the dangers of going in the river.

“Then I watched on Sunday and thought, hang on they’ve missed the most important bit.”

He said he was devastated his interview to camera about importance of having the right kit and supervision from trained instructors who know the area was not used, apparently due to a problem with the sound.

Mr Atkinson lodged an official complaint with the BBC and a warning has since appeared alongside the online version of the episode.

He said: “One of the main men rang and was very apologetic, he said in hindsight they should have done a voiceover and said they would seriously consider another segment concentrating on water safety issues in future.

“But the horse has bolted and I’m worried what I hoped would act as a warning will actually encourage people to take unnecessary risks.”

Mrs Gosling campaigns and delivers school talks to raise awareness of water safety.

During the Easter break she took the group of friends Cameron was with on the day he died to Low Force, for a similar activity to that enjoyed by Mrs Harrison.

She was seen in a wetsuit and helmet stepping into the river at the waterfall - describing it as one of the best places for white water swimming in the country- before reaching for a safety pole and riding chutes and rapids whilst dodging boulders.

Mrs Gosling, of Willington, said: “We had four days of water safety activities before they did what she did.

“We stood for an hour watching the river flow and heard how the current was too strong there for them, it can hold you under longer than you expect and spit you out elsewhere so they had to go in a different place.

“We want people to enjoy the outdoors and not have fear, but respect and to understand the dangers.”

Durham County Councillor Joy Allen, who as portfolio holder for safer communities has worked with other agencies on water safety campaigns, added: “Fiona has done some amazing work raising awareness to try to prevent further accidents and loss of life.

“It was surprising, especially with school holidays and better weather coming, the BBC did not reinforce that safety message.”

A BBC spokesman said: “It was clear in the film that it was carried out under the supervision of specialised instructors and with full safety equipment.

“Countryfile regularly highlights safety precautions when broadcasting items of this nature and on this occasion we should have done so.

“There is a clear warning on the Countryfile website and any subsequent broadcasts will also clearly address this.”