Volunteer divers fall ill after clearing the river near the town bridge in Chippenham
The divers from Calne Divers pulled out more than 40 trolleys, 20 bicycles and a bus stop with a bin and timetable still attached.
As many as 10 divers from the club spent six hours clearing a half-mile stretch of the river. They were forced to work by feel only, finding some unusual items. Among the items were cones, pushchairs, wheels, a cash register and an 8ft bus stop.
Jon Dodsworth from the club, said,”We had to remove five shopping trolleys just to launch the boat
“One woman has been really ill with stomach bugs and nausea and we think it’s Weil’s disease.”
Weil’s disease, known as Leptospirosis, is a bacterial infection caught from infected animal urine. The disease is thought to have caused the death of Andy Holmes, the Olympic gold medal-winning rower.
Jon also said, “Unless we get sponsorship for full face masks, I’m not sure I can convince anyone to do it again.”
