Hard to believe it but I have fished around that area when the 'plug hole' was about 40' up in the air! It was when the drought exposed the flooded village and roads. It was a sinister experience drifting among the old buildings, wall and fences. I was so moved that I wrote a poem about it. I'll try to find it.
It will be interesting to see if any action has been taken when I am there on Saturday. In this instance I don't think that they were in any danger but the unexpected can happen when on the water. If it is allowable to get that close , one day an inexperienced angler will try it in rough conditions. Conditions can change very quickly here. Last year a lovely day changed to a hail storm in minutes.