Body of 16-year-old boy found in Nottingham lake

The teenager got into difficulty while swimming in the lake at Colwick Country Park

The boy got into difficulty while swimming in Colwick Country Park in Nottingham

A body has been found in the search for a 16-year-old boy who got into difficulty while swimming in a lake on Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Colwick Country Park in Nottingham at 5.20pm, sparking a rescue operation involving a police underwater search team and the Fire and Rescue Service, which led to the discovery of his body just before 8pm.

Chief Inspector David Mather, of Nottinghamshire Police, said officers were looking into how the boy came into trouble.

The teenager’s body was discovered shortly before 8pm on Wednesday night (Chris Morgan/Geograph)

“This is a tragic discovery and our thoughts are with this boy's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time,” he said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water – regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently.

“As in this tragic case, open water can have hidden dangers that can prove fatal and I would urge anyone who spends any time on or near open water to use this case as a devastating reminder of that – particularly during the recent warm weather we have been experiencing.”

The boy’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will now be prepared for the Coroner.

Councillor Sam Lux, Nottingham City Council’s Executive Member for Carbon Reduction, Leisure and Culture, said the council would be working with police and the fire service to understand the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death.

"As the current warm spell continues and as we approach the summer season we urge people to follow the guidance at Colwick park and other sites and not enter the water unless as part of properly supervised open water swimming sessions,” Ms Lux said.

The warning comes as the UK is bracing for the hottest day of the year so far, with forecasters predicting temperatures could hit 30C at the earliest point in the year ever.

It could be the warmest start to May ever recorded, according to the Met Office - beating the 27.4C set on 1 May 1990 in Lossiemouth, Scotland.