THE BODY of a 15-year-old boy has been pulled from the water near a disused reservoir after he got into difficulty while swimming.
Cops said his tragic death was “a sad reminder of the dangers of entering open water“.
Emergency services scrambled to Cowbury Reservoir in Tameside yesterday evening, launching a specialist search for the teen.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed it was called to reports of a teenage boy getting into difficulty in the water near Stalybridge at around 6.30pm yesterday.
Officers were joined by fire and rescue as well as the ambulance service.
But a specialist search that evening discovered the 15-year old’s body in the water.
The force described the incident as “devastating”, adding the family have been informed and the body formally identified.
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.”
She issued a plea to 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,” Ch Insp Baxter added.
The tragic death comes after multiple deaths during the recent heatwave, with seven people now having died in water-related incidents in recent days.
A rare red warning for extreme heat was issued by the Met Office as the UK sweltered in exceptionally hot and humid conditions.
Yesterday, temperatures peaked at 32C, with many flocking to beauty spots and open water to cool off.
Another 15-year-old boy was pulled from a water in a similar sad incident in Hampshire on Saturday.
It also follows the tragic discovery of the body of Brody Leach, 22, in the River Severn at Shrewsbury yesterday morning.
And on Wednesday, a 50-year-old man sadly died after a medical emergency at sea off a popular beach.
