Teenage boy becomes seventh to die in open water during UK heatwave after body recovered from reservoir

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Police were called around 6.30pm on Saturday to reports of a 15-year-old boy getting into difficulty near Cowbury Reservoir in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester.

A body was located near the reservoir later that evening and was recovered by "specialist partners".

Police say that formal identification has taken place and his family have been made aware.

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It brings the total number of deaths linked to open-water swimming during the June heatwave to seven.

Chief Inspector Helen Baxter, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "Yesterday’s events are nothing short of devastating and my thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the young boy who sadly lost his life in such awful circumstances.

"We are confident that there are no suspicious circumstances and that this is such a sad reminder of the dangers of entering open water.

"We remind the public to please avoid being tempted to cool off in reservoirs, rivers, canals or ponds.“We all want to enjoy the warm weather; please make sure you do so in a safe way."

Friday was confirmed by the Met Office as the UK’s hottest June day on record, with a provisional temperature of 37.3C recorded in Santon Downham, Suffolk, surpassing the high of 36.7C recorded in Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday.

It comes after a woman's body has been recovered from a pool in a park in the West Midlands.

Emergency services were called to Sandwell Valley Country Park in West Bromwich around 16:30 BST, with specialist teams deployed into the water, according to West Midlands Police.

Upon discovery of the body, officers said nothing could be done to save the woman, and the force confirmed she was dead at the scene.

It followed a the recovery of the body of a 22-year-old man from the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, on Saturday morning, West Mercia Police said.

The force said Brody Leach was last seen alive swimming in the river on Friday when he apparently got into trouble.

Meanwhile, officers searching for a missing 15-year-old boy last seen in the water at Testwood Lakes near Southampton have found a body, Hampshire Police said in a statement on Saturday.

“The boy’s family have been informed and formal identification has taken place. His family are being supported by specially-trained officers,” the force added.

Essex Police has also confirmed the death of a 69-year-old man in Clacton.

Officers said they were called to a medical emergency in Marine Parade East at just after 11am on Friday after reports of a man in difficulty in the sea.

The force said in a statement: “Officers, paramedics, the fire service and coastguard all attended. Sadly, despite colleagues’ best efforts, a 69-year-old man died at the scene.”

The deaths bring the total number of water-related fatalities during the recent heatwave to six after a 50-year-old man was also pronounced dead on Wednesday afternoon at Aberavon beach on the south coast of Wales.

Coastguard officers performed CPR until paramedics arrived, but the 50-year-old from Cilfrew was pronounced dead at the scene.

Earlier, police said they had recovered the body of a teenage boy from a lake in Syston, Leicestershire, after he went into the water on Thursday, since identified as Hayden Jones-Powell

During the May heatwave, at least 15 people, the majority of whom were children, drowned whilst swimming in open water.

It prompted widespread warnings about the dangers of trying to cool off with a swim in the sea, lake or river, as the water is often much colder than expected and can cause cold water shock syndrome that can prove prove fatal.

Wednesday was the first of three consecutive days in which the hottest June day on record was broken.