Body of teenage boy recovered in Kent as UK heatwave’s water-related death toll hits 10

The body of a teenage boy has been recovered from open water in Kent in the 10th water-related death during the UK heatwave.

Emergency services responded to concerns for the boy’s safety on Wednesday.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service statement said: "Kent Fire and Rescue Service was called to reports of concern for a person in water near

"Control operators sent two fire engines, a water safety unit, and the technical rescue unit to the scene. Kent Police and SECAmb also attended. Sadly, the body of a teenage boy was recovered."

The spokesman continued: "His death is not being treated as suspicious at this time and a report will be prepared for the coroner."

The hot weather has attracted many to open water swimming, resulting in a number of deaths in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire in recent days.

Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on Sunday.

Also on Sunday, a 72-year-old woman died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, at around 3.15pm.

A 13-year-old boy, understood to be Reco Puttock, died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Monday, while the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire.

The same day, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to help two family members who were in difficulty, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

The body of a teenager was recovered from the water at Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, South Yorkshire Police said.

Another body has been found in the search for a teenage boy who went missing after he was last seen swimming at Hawley Lake on the Hampshire/Surrey border on Tuesday afternoon.

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A 12-year-old boy who died after getting into trouble in the River Ribble at Ribchester, Lancashire, on Tuesday was named as Junior Slater from Clayton-le-Woods.

More to follow...