Police warning after man, woman and boy die in water at Loch Lomond

25 July 2021, 13:01 | Updated: 25 July 2021, 16:13

By Nick Hardinges

@NHardinges

A man, woman and nine-year-old boy have died and another boy, 7, is fighting for his life after getting into difficulty in Loch Lomond.

A 41-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman and a nine-year-old boy were pulled out of the water near Pulpit Rock, Loch Lomond, south of Ardlui, on Saturday evening.

Police Scotland said the three individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.

A seven-year-old boy was also recovered and was taken to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, where he is currently in intensive care.

Six people - including four young boys - have died in a series of tragic incidents in lochs and rivers in 24 hours, leading Police Scotland to urge people to "exercise extreme caution" when swimming.

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

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Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said the number of deaths that had taken place in open waters over Friday and Saturday was "hard to comprehend".

He stated: "The warm weather can make open water swimming and paddling very inviting but it is extremely dangerous, even for the most experienced swimmers or supervised children. The conditions can change very quickly and there are often hidden risks like deeper water and strong currents.

"The message I want to send to everyone is exercise extreme caution. It is better to keep a safe distance from water if possible.

"Tragically, this weekend has highlighted that open water is very, very dangerous."

He urged people: "If you see someone in the water and distressed, call 999 immediately.

"Remember, you could get into difficulty yourself trying to help so please take care and seek help as soon as possible."

Read more: Swimmers urged to be careful in open water amid heatwave deaths

Read more: Police 'increasingly concerned' over missing 12-year-old girl

Police Scotland was called to a report of concerns for people in the water at Loch Lomond at about 6:40pm on Saturday.

The force said: "A multi-agency operation took place and sadly three people were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Formal identification has still to take place but the family of a 41-year-old man, 29-year-old woman and nine-year-old boy have been made aware."

A report into the incident will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Just hours later, police announced they had recovered the body of a 13-year-old boy in the water at Hazelbank, Lanark, shortly before 6pm on Saturday evening. Formal identification is yet to take place but the family of a 13-year-old boy have been made aware.

An 11-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene after being found in the river at Alexander Hamilton Memorial Park in Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire, on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a 16-year-old boy died in the water at Balloch Country Park, at the south end of Loch Lomond, on Friday.

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 growing number of fatalities as "devastating" and encouraged people to choose supervised swimming spots to cool off.