A 12-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the River Ribble has been named as Junior Slater from Clayton-le-Woods, Lancashire. Police were called at around 2pm on Tuesday following reports that a child had gone into the river at Ribchester.
Emergency services, including Lancashire Police's underwater search unit and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, launched a large-scale search. The boy's body was recovered from the river at around 7.50pm. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner.
In a tribute released through the force, Junior's family said: 'Our little blue-eyed boy. He will be truly missed. He was the life and soul of our lives. Words can't describe how we are feeling right now. We will forever love you Junior.' The family are being supported by specially-trained officers and have asked for privacy.
The incident comes amid a series of water-related deaths across the UK during the recent hot weather. On Monday, a man in his 60s died after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach near Padstow, Cornwall, in an attempt to rescue his wife and granddaughter. Both family members were brought to safety by other beachgoers, but the man was found suffering a cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Separately, police in West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Warwickshire have confirmed the deaths of two teenage boys and a teenage girl in water-related incidents. A 13-year-old boy, named locally as Reco Puttock, was pronounced dead after being pulled from water near Halifax, while a 16-year-old girl was found dead at a water park in Warwickshire. South Yorkshire Police also confirmed the death of a teenage boy in Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham.
