A body has been recovered in the search for a 13-year-old boy who went missing off the coast of Hornsea, East Yorkshire, on Tuesday (August 4), Humberside Police said.
Formal identification pending
The force said formal identification has not yet taken place but the body is believed to be the teenager and his family have been informed. Chief Superintendent Phil Booker said: “This is an incredibly heartbreaking outcome, and our thoughts are with the boy’s family and friends at this devastating time.
“Emergency services were called to the South Promenade in Hornsea shortly after 6pm yesterday following reports of a concern for safety involving a 13-year-old boy who had got into difficulty whilst swimming in the water.
Search operation
“An extensive search operation was launched involving specialist Humberside search officers including our marine unit and drone pilots, alongside HM Coastguard, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, and Humberside Fire and Rescue Service.
“Tragically, at around 4.30am this morning, a body was recovered from the water.”
The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner, Mr Booker said.
Related incidents
It comes after a search and rescue operation was launched to find the teenage boy who got into difficulty in the sea. Humberside Police received reports of a concern for the boy’s safety at around 6pm on Tuesday (August 4).
The tragic news comes after a 14-year-old boy drowned after going into the water in east London on Monday (August 3). The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at about 6.48pm to reports that a boy had entered the Millwall Outer Dock near East Ferry Road on the Isle of Dogs.
The force said despite the efforts of emergency services, the boy was retrieved from the river at 10.30pm and pronounced dead.
Water safety statistics
According to Press Association estimates, at least 39 deaths have been reported this summer from open-water incidents.
The National Water Safety Forum reported there were 202 water-related fatalities across the whole of last year in the UK, adding that 2026 data will not be published until May next year.
