The two individuals who were filmed sailing down the River Trent said they had no regrets but “wouldn’t recommend” people copying them.
In a video shared on TikTok, two young men were seen floating down the river in an inflatable pool bought from Lidl, using a wok and a baking tray as makeshift oars.
The Canal and River Trust urged people “to keep safe and stay on dry land” in response to the viral video, which gained over 1.6 million views in just four days, but the two men involved said the experience was “absolutely worth it”.
In a statement for the Nottingham Post, a spokesperson for the Trust said: “The paddling pool may look fun but it really wasn’t a good idea to take it out onto the water and it could have ended really badly.
“The River Trent is a powerful, busy river and, in a flimsy paddling pool with little more than a wok and a baking tray to paddle, it’s obvious that the lads involved could have got into trouble very easily.
“With the hot weather set to continue, we’d ask people to please be sensible around their local canal or river, staying out of the water and going home safe and dry at the end of the day.”
The two lads, who wished to remain anonymous, explained that they wanted to make a raft out of boredom, but the resources were too expensive and decided to buy a paddling pool.
Speaking exclusively to Platform, they explained they planned it as safely as they could but had no regrets over the possibly dangerous experience.
They said: “We decided to stay near the side for the beginning, to ensure it would float and we had friends walking along the edge.
“We did deliberately choose a safe entry and exit point and we also chose a particularly calm day to be as safe as we could be.
“It was absolutely worth it – how many people can say they wok’d the Trent?
“We had great fun, no one was hurt and it’s a great memory.
“Following the warning, it’s more important that people stay safe, and we wouldn’t recommend others copying us.”
The weather is expected to remain warm in the following days, with highs of 27 degrees on Sunday.
Lead image: Rucsandra Moldoveanu