Boy, 11, found dead after river searched in South Lanarkshire park

25 July 2021, 11:16 | Updated: 25 July 2021, 11:33

By Nick Hardinges

@NHardinges

An 11-year-old boy has died after getting into difficulty in a river next to a park in South Lanarkshire.

The child was pulled from the water at the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Park in Stonehouse, south-east of Glasgow, on Saturday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the incident at around 4:30pm and recovered the boy from the river.

However, Police Scotland said the male youth was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesman added that although the victim has not yet been formally identified, the family of an 11-year-old boy has been made aware of the death.

It comes less than 24 hours after a 16-year-old boy died in the water at Loch Lomond on Friday.

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On the latest incident, a Police Scotland spokesman said: "Police were called around 4:30pm on Saturday 24 July following the report of a concern for a person in the water at Alexander Hamilton Memorial Park in Stonehouse.

"Emergency services attended and a male youth was recovered from the water. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

"Formal identification has still to take place but the family of an 11-year-old boy have been made aware."

The spokesman added that a report on the incident will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.

With the recent spell of hot weather, Brits have been urged to take extra care swimming in open water after dozens of drowning deaths across the UK.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) described the fatalities as "devastating" and encouraged people to choose supervised swimming spots to cool off.