Woman Told River Was Safe To Swim in-Next Day She's in the ER

A woman has gone viral on Instagram after sharing a stark warning about swimming in the River Thames-a mistake that landed her in hospital.

In a video posted on Wednesday by user @babygurllans, Allanah Freddi, 30, from London, can be seen walking in a hospital gown as she cautions others against entering the water.

"Don't swim in the Thames," she said in the caption, "even if they say you can and even if other people are doing it."

Freddi later told Newsweek that the video was filmed as she walked home after being discharged from University College Hospital at 3 a.m. The clip follows what she described as a sudden and intense illness after spending time swimming in the river earlier in the week.

"I swam in the Thames during the heat wave all day on a Monday and Tuesday," she said. "I felt fine until around 4 pm on Wednesday. Then I started to feel violently ill, and I threw up a lot of times."

She said her condition rapidly worsened. "Then I passed out and blacked out, and I awoke and threw up some more," she added. "Then I called an ambulance, and then I was transported by ambulance to hospital."

Despite the outcome, Freddi said there were no immediate warning signs during the swims themselves. "It was actually really lovely and magical, and there were no indications to me that something might be wrong until Wednesday afternoon," she said.

Freddi explained that she had been swimming in a designated swimming spot, where dozens of people were also in the water at the same time.

"There were probably between 30 and 70 other people swimming at that spot over those two days I was there," she said, noting that groups of teenagers and even toddlers on a paddling board were present.

"I was floating in the river for several hours on both days, so I probably absorbed quite a lot of it," she said.

At the hospital, Freddi was treated for her symptoms and given fluids. She said the doctor reassured her that her condition could be managed. "You're young and fit, you can ride it out," she recalled being told.

Freddi described the worst part of the experience as "the vomiting and blacking out," which ultimately prompted her to call emergency services after initially hesitating.

"I actually hesitated to call the ambulance because no one really wants to have to call an ambulance and go to hospital," she said. "But I only decided to call the ambulance because the pain was unrelenting and was getting worse."

She added that losing consciousness for a couple of minutes was a turning point in her decision to seek help.

Now she has fully recovered, but despite the ordeal, she remains reflective about the experience. "It was worth it, beautiful day for it, and I’d do it again," she said.

The video has resonated widely online, amassing more than 697,000 views and 2,761 likes on Instagram.

One user, Jayjayh92, commented: "I did it when I was little and I was violently unwell for days."

Jesserosesings said: "I used to live right next to it and the AMOUNT of people just hopping in in the summer is genuinely INSANE to me. The water is OPAQUE. You can't see your own body in the water."

Yodaz_sodaz added: "I think most people don’t need a warning but well done for being a test subject."

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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 11:16 AM.