Drank water from a waterfall - guess who’s now sick

[Mynewparasitefriend]

Me. It’s me obviously

Was hiking with enough water - got around half way through and realised my backpack was dripping.

Stopped and opened it and most of my water had leaked out. I was miles from anywhere and in stupid heat. Decided to finish my hike and then take a detour on the way back to a village. By the time I got 3/4 of the way round I was so thirsty and hot and still miles out from the village.

Came across the waterfall and I know (I know) not to drink from outside water but in my defence it was really fast flowing and completely clear.

Probably drank 400-500 mls

5 hrs later and my stomach is like a washing machine. Exactly how sick am I going to be?

Wow I didn’t know it could be so dangerous we often swim paddle board and kayak in a river local to us with the kids it’s a poplar activity

"ever happen?"

We've already hit 40degrees in the UK a few years ago, and hottest temperature records are being broken every few years. It's extremely unlikely that those temperatures and conditions will become common in the UK in the near future but "ever" is incorrect.

I accidentally ingested a tiny bit of river water last year and was so sick I passed out. It was a crystal clear, beautiful chalk stream too.

I live in Dorset. It was 85 F here yesterday.

Sorry to hear this.....

I have risked drinking non drinking water from taps abroad before (not quite the same) as weighed it up against being dehydrated (prone to UTIs too)

As PP have said, drink lots of fluids now - if you can get some rehydration sachets too eg dioralyte they may help with salt levelts too.

How is this story relevant or helpful to OP?

The chances are you feeling unwell is likely down to dehydration and loss of body salts than dodgy water

Hope you're feeling better, but even if you are - please go get a test with your GP.

I have a friend who drank from the river and was sick and then felt better - a year later after on and off sickness and stomach issues, eventually went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a massive parasite burden 😖

I was going to ask why you went hiking during a heat wave, OP?

Im battling a stomach bug at the mo, but it’s a human to human one.

Wishing you better soon.

Hope you're OK, OP. I am currently on medication for an ear infection, which I think I picked up swimming in the sea on the last day of our holiday in Mallorca - the sea was a weird brown colour that day. My daughter wouldn't go in it but I assumed it was just a tidal thing. Seems not! Urgh.

I would drink electrolytes, stay in the shade, eat plain foods and if in 48 hours you're not better see a doctor.

Yes, I've actually been sick from the heat...

It really just depends what's upstream. If there's a dead stag at the top of the cliff, you could very easily become very ill indeed! Just a matter of luck if (bad to us) bacteria from nature happen to be in those ounces you drink.

I once drank my fill from a fast flowing stream in the Lost Valley, Glencoe.

50 yards further on, if found the stream was flowing round a dead sheep. I was fine. It was the middle of winter and so presumably the sheep wasn’t rotting.

Ewwww the River Dee. The sewage pollution in the Dee is dreadful. I'm not remotely surprised.

That's what our guide in India told us to do, with a bit of salt in it too, seemed to work well.

I'm sure it does but there is also rationale for drinking it after being in rivers.
The phosphoric acid in it is thought to kill bacteria although this hasn't been proven.

Was always recommended when I used to go canoeing.

Hope you are feeling a bit better now.

If you hike regularly, might be worth bunging some water purification tablets in your rucksack. They aren't expensive and will help in a bind if you get stuck again.

Like you say, balance of probability. No water and get sick from heatstroke and dehydration. Or drink the clear water and take the risk. I think id have dome the same. What can you do? 🤷‍♀️

I think you will be ok. At least you're not in India. Someone told me a horrific story recently about when he paid to cross the Ganges in a boat and all the tourists had their mouths covered. The man operating the boat was actually putting a cup into the Ganges and drinking the water.

Hope your feeling ok OP. Sickness while camping is no joke

Don’t go drinking waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.

I’d say it’s heat stroke.

How are you feeling today?

I'm just curious - you said - I was miles from anywhere and in stupid heat. Decided to finish my hike and then take a detour on the way back to a village. By the time I got 3/4 of the way round I was so thirsty and hot and still miles out from the village.

Would you have been quicker turning around? In this heat water is essential - as I am sure you know. I think take it is a lesson hard learnt.

Also get some purifying tablets. Back as a teen I was in the cadets, that's what we used.

So many of these refillable bottles with valves and spouts are shit. We've had so many soaking incidents with schoolbags. Screw top bottle (of 2 litre capacity) so much better if you're out in this heat. Hope you are feeling ok this morning OP.

I hope you’re ok OP!

I say this with the caveat that any nasties need to be taken very seriously, but if your tummy is just churning and you haven’t been sick/had diarrhoea, are you sure you’re not just working yourself up and getting anxious about the idea of a bug? I have done that more than once before so I’m just chucking it into the ring as a possibility!