Take a dip, if you dare.
Nestled in the woods of Wissahickon Creek of Northwest Philadelphia, you'll find one of the most popular swimming holes among locals. Residents know it as Devil's Pool and for good reason: Swimmers are routinely getting injured, some even dying. One swimmer, Anthony Cano, broke his back and punctured a lung when he jumped from a bridge into the water.
Swimming in "Devil's Pool" is illegal, but that doesn't stop hundreds from visiting the area daily. According to Maura McCarthy, the Executive Director of Friends of Wissahickon Creek, the waters are badly contaminated from nearby sewers and industrial plants. Meanwhile, police say the area is hard to monitor. Lt. Andrew Napoli of local police says quite simply: There are other areas requiring law enforcement's attention.
"The problem is city resources are limited. Normally by the time we show up, because it's such a long walk, they already know we are coming and they are scattered," said Napoli.
Some locals want to see the hole filled with rocks, but that plan was dismissed by city officials. According to McCarthy, the area has a lot of memory and altering it permanently would be an overreaction.
