The family of a 13-year-old boy who drowned while cooling off on the hottest day of the year has left tributes at the scene. The boy, named locally as Reco, got into difficulties in front of dozens of onlookers at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Bank Holiday Monday.
Floral tributes left at the remote reservoir included messages such as “RIP Reco. Miss you Millions” and “RIP Reco. You will be forever missed”. The boy drowned while people were paddling, swimming and picnicking at the site, according to a local resident.
West Yorkshire Police said officers were called at 3.18pm on Monday to reports of a teenage boy in difficulty in the water. The body of the 13-year-old was recovered and he was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Enquiries are ongoing but there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.
Local resident Natalie Smith, 36, said she heard sirens and saw the police helicopter, fire engines and ambulances. “When it is a hot day people come here to walk, swim and picnic. It was very busy yesterday with people coming to paddle or swim. Still, you never expect something like this to happen. It is tragic,” she said.
The boy’s death was one of two teenage drowning incidents on the bank holiday. A 15-year-old girl died after being recovered from a lake at Kingsbury Water Park in Staffordshire on Monday evening. Warwickshire Police said her body was recovered at 7.20pm and she was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation has begun.
Earlier, on Sunday, 15-year-old Declan Sawyer died in Swanholme Lakes near Lincoln. His father Carl said he was “very much loved by his friends and family, and will be missed dearly by many”. Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service warned people about the dangers of open water, saying cold water shock can be highly dangerous even on warm days.
