Swimming through a small dam?

Question

At a small lake beside by mouse there is a small dam which drains excess water from the lake into a small stream bellow. It says "Danger, paddle boaters, kayakers keep away from the dam"

A friend of mine had the idea of jumping out of the paddle boat and then swimming through the "overflow" dam into the stream bellow

Do you think he can get hurt ???(this is not the kind of dam were there is an actual turning current like in the small dams on river, it merely drains excess water from the lake into the stream bellow to prevent the lake from overflowing and floading the surrounding)

Answer 1

Um, YES?!  The water is almost never deep on the other side of those things. Odds are very good he'll hit something on the other side. Besides, then what happens to the boat he abandoned?

Answer 2

Wow, another idiotic law protecting the idiots...

Answer 3

Dams, culverts, lock-gates, wiers etc have killed more folk than you can imagine. They even kill people dressed in full dive gear so what chance someone without it? Messing with waterway drains just isn't worth the risk, so stay clear.

Answer 4

Yes, your friend can get hurt. Your friend may well receive a spinal injury or drown. Would you like to see your friend spend the rest of his / her life in a wheelchair? This is a very very dangerous thing to consider doing and you should do all you can to prevent your friend from going ahead with it.

Tell his / her parents or tell the local police of your friends' stated intention. You will be doing him / her a favour.