A woman fell seriously ill with a parasite after swimming during a heatwave and ingesting contaminated seawater. Katherine Hopkins, 35, spent time in the sea at Hove Lawns, Brighton, and Lancing Beach in East Sussex, leading to her hospitalization for a month. She developed severe stomach cramps and frequent visits to the toilet about 10 days after swimming, later diagnosed with cryptosporidium, a parasite causing intestinal illness.

Katherine, who had a kidney transplant, suspected she ingested the parasite while splashing seawater on her face. Southern Water was fined for illegal sewage pollution incidents, impacting beach closures off the Kent coast. Despite Katherine’s recovery after a month in the hospital, she remains cautious about swimming in British waters due to health concerns.

The Environment Agency mentioned the natural presence of bacteria in water sources, with potential contamination from various sources like sewage discharges. Southern Water defended the water quality, stating no storm overflows occurred during Katherine’s swimming days. They emphasized efforts to protect bathing water quality and apologized for any incidents affecting swimmers.