A CONCERNED mother whose daughter went swimming in the River Dearne has urged other parents to relay the dangers of doing so to their children - after the youngster was hospitalised with a severe bacterial infection.

Stephanie Meecham’s 13-year-old daughter, Eadie, was rushed to hospital having entered the stretch of river in New Lodge earlier this week.

Having been jumping in with her friends, Eadie swallowed some water which ultimately led to her hospitalisation.

E-coli has been blamed by medics who treated her at Barnsley Hospital.

Stephanie, from Royston, said: “A few others from the group have been poorly as well but it was horrific to see Eadie in such a terrible way.

“She fainted in the early hours and was shaky, sick and in and out of consciousness.

“We rushed to the hospital but she deteriorated - her blood pressure was 86/36 which is extremely low.

“The staff there were fantastic and got fluids back into her system as she was so dehydrated.”

Eadie returned home after a night’s monitoring in the hospital but her concerned mum now wants others to be wary of the danger posed by water.

“Her friend, Jayden, was also severely ill and was hospitalised,” Stephanie added.

“There have been other kids attend A and E with the same symptoms from swimming in the Dearne.

“What we thought was our kids living their best lives has turned in to a living nightmare.

“They’ve simply got to stay out of the river as it’s been a really scary experience.

“The pollution is obviously there and while people from older generations didn’t necessarily have to worry about that when they were kids, this just shows that the water quality is very different these days.”

Rivers can become contaminated with faecal matter from agricultural run-off, wildlife and untreated sewage overflows, the latter of which has been a big issue on stretches of the Dearne in recent years.

According to the Environment Agency’s records, the Dearne was polluted by sewage 773 times in 2025 - lasting 4,850 hours - both up and downstream of where Eadie and her group were swimming.

A spokesperson from Yorkshire Water said improvements are being made to improve the Dearne’s water quality.

Work is ongoing, with a raft of measures along the watercourse due for completion by early next year.

“Improvements on the Dearne are part of our plan to upgrade 28 storm overflows to reduce storm discharges across Barnsley including Darton and Worsbrough.

“The projects are expected to complete in early 2027.

“These upgrades should result in up to a 70 per cent reduction of storm discharges going into the River Dearne.

“We know we need to continue driving down the number of discharges to our rivers and we’re committed to delivering those improvements over the next few years and beyond.”

Councillor Stan Bryan, cabinet spokesperson for adult social care and integrated health, said: “We wish the young person a full recovery.

“Whilst we can’t comment on individual circumstances, we would remind residents that rivers, ponds and other open waters are not designated or managed for swimming.

“Water quality can vary, and there may be hidden hazards beneath the surface.

“Entering open water can expose people to a range of risks, including cold water shock, strong currents, hidden obstacles and harmful bacteria such as e-coli.

“Swallowing contaminated water can cause illness and, in severe cases, e-coli infection can lead to life-threatening complications, particularly for children and other vulnerable individuals.

“We encourage parents and carers to talk to children and young people about the dangers of entering open water and to follow local safety advice.”