A 15-year-old boy has died after getting into difficulty while swimming in Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on Sunday 24 May, the hottest day of the year so far. The teenager, named locally as Declan, was pulled from the water by emergency services, but was pronounced dead at the scene.
His family paid tribute to him, describing him as 'a funny and outgoing young man who loved his fishing and his football'. They urged parents to make children aware of the dangers of open water, saying: 'Please can all parents, friends and family make their children aware of the dangers surrounding water.'
The death is one of 19 accidental drownings recorded across the UK during the May heatwave, including 13 children. The Royal Life Saving Society warns that 90% of accidental drownings in the last five years have occurred in open water.
