Britain’s deadly heatwave: Seven youngsters drown as May temperatures hit record levels
Thousands of Brits flocked to the beach over the long weekend
Seven youngsters have passed away in separate tragedies after getting into difficulty in water at popular beauty spots in the hot weather.
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A 13-year-old boy, two girls and a boy aged 15, a girl aged 16, and another teenage boy were pulled from water over the past few days amid record-breaking temperatures.
The latest death was announced on Wednesday morning after a body was found in the search for a 12-year-old boy who went missing in a river in Lancashire. He has since been named as Junior Slater from Clayton-le-Woods.
He was last seen with friends entering the River Ribble in Ribchester at about 2pm on Tuesday.
In a tribute released through the force, his family said: “Our little blue-eyed boy. He will be truly missed. He was the life and soul of our lives. Words can’t describe how we are feeling right now. We will forever love you Junior.”
Reco Puttock, 13, died in hospital after being pulled from the water at a popular swimming spot in Halifax at around 3.20pm on Monday.
Abbie Carmody-Pepper, 19, drowned during a day out at County Dublin beach on Sunday.
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Two other boys and a 15-year-old girl lost their lives in Lincolnshire, West and South Yorkshire, as well as Warwickshire over the weekend.
Then hours later, the body of the girl was recovered from a lake at a country park in Warwickshire.
South Yorkshire Police also responded to reports that a teenager had gone into the lake at Rother Valley County Park in Rotherham.
His body was recovered in the early hours of Tuesday. Emergency services recovered his body in the early hours of this morning.
It came a day after 15-year-old Declan Sawyer drowned at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln at around 2.30pm on Sunday.
A man in his 60s also died from cardiac arrest after trying to save a relative who got into difficulty in the water at a Cornish beach on Monday.
Phil Crow, 68, was hailed as a hero for trying to save his granddaughter before going into cardiac arrest in the sea at Tregirls Beach in Padstow, Cornwall at around 3.50pm.
It comes as the Met Office confirmed Tuesday was the UK's hottest recorded May day in history, with temperatures reaching 35C in Heathrow and Kew Gardens, a da after the record was beaten on Monday with highs of 34.8C.
An amber health warning was extended by 24 hours for several regions in England.
Following the deaths, Declan's father Carl paid tribute to the "funny and outgoing young man" and stressed no parent should go through the same ordeal.
“He had a very cheeky smile and the personality to match. He was very much loved by his friends and family, and will be missed dearly by many," he said.
He added: "We would like to raise awareness about children playing near any rivers or lakes in the hot weather. Please can all parents, friends and family make their children aware of the dangers surrounding water."
The UK Health Security Agency have said amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands and the East of England will remain in place until 5pm on Thursday May 28, along with yellow alerts for the North West and North East.
The alerts had previously been in place until 5pm on Wednesday May 27.
The UK experienced a "tropical night" on Monday as the record for the warmest minimum temperature for May was broken for the second consecutive day.
Temperatures did not fall below 20C overnight on Monday in parts of the UK, with 21.3C recorded at Kenley Airfield, south London.
Met Office chief forecaster Andy Page said the "exceptional" late-spring heat will continue for much of this week, with more "tropical nights expected."
"Last night provisionally recorded the warmest May night on record, and we’re likely to see further very warm nights in the south over the coming days,” he said.
"We were particularly concerned by reports at the weekend about an increase in the number of motorists around England and Wales who were prosecuted for not maintaining their windscreen wipers, something which is crucial during a thunderstorm."
The RAC had a 20% increase in car breakdowns over the bank holiday, the spokesperson added.