A body has been found in the search for a 17-year-old boy last seen in a Cheshire lake, police have said.
A Cheshire Constabulary spokesman said officers were called to reports of a missing boy last seen in the water at Pickmere Lake, near Northwich, at 4.50pm on Tuesday.
Extensive searches were carried out and a body, believed to be the missing teenager, was later recovered from the lake, the spokesman said.
Chief Inspector Jamie Lewis said: “This was a young boy who had his entire life ahead of him. At what is an incredibly difficult time, our thoughts remain with the boy’s family, friends and everyone who knew him.”
He added: “Over the bank holiday weekend, we have sadly seen the very real dangers of swimming in open water.
“We understand that with the warm weather many people could be tempted to take a dip in open water to cool off, but residents must be aware of the potential deadly consequences.”
It follows reports that a 15-year-old girl is in a critical condition after getting into difficulties in the water at Formby beach on Monday, Merseyside Police said.
A force spokesman said emergency services were called to the beach at about 3.30pm on the bank holiday.
The girl was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and remains in a critical condition, the spokesman said.
A tragic series of incidents has seen at least six people, including several teenagers, die after getting into difficulty in open water across the UK in recent days, prompting urgent warnings from safety organisations. The deaths occurred in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Devon and Cornwall, Warwickshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire amidst a period of high temperatures.
Among the victims was 15-year-old Declan Sawyer, who died after struggling at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on Sunday. The following day, a 13-year-old boy lost his life at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, and the body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire.
On the same Monday, a man in his 60s suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to assist two family members in distress, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed.
The grim toll continued into Tuesday, with the body of a fourth teenager recovered from Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, in the early hours. Later that evening, Lancashire Police announced a body had been found in the River Ribble after a 12-year-old boy encountered difficulties while swimming with friends at Ribchester.
The RNLI has issued a stark warning about the “very real risk” of swimming in open water during the heatwave. Despite record high air temperatures for May, water temperatures remain low, which can lead to dangerous cold water shock.
