Teenager drowns in canal as number of lives lost in water during heatwave rises to nine

Police issue stark warning: ‘Even on days as hot as we have had recently, cold water can cause cramps in even the strongest swimmers’

Fire crews attend incident in Knottingley (Screengrab / Yappapp)

A 15-year-old boy has drowned in a canal in West Yorkshire – the ninth person to lose their lives in open water since the start of the current heatwave.

The schoolboy’s body was pulled from the water in Knottingley, near Wakefield, shortly before 6pm following a massive police, fire and air ambulance operation.

It is not known if the teenager, who has not yet been named, was swimming in the waterway when he got into trouble.

But detectives investigating the incident in the town’s Stocking Lane warned people of the dangers of entering seemingly calm canals, rivers and lakes during the good weather.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Nicholson, of West Yorkshire Police, said: 'This has been a tragic incident in which a boy has sadly lost his life and I would like to advise people of the dangers posed by open water.

“Even on days as hot as we have had recently, canals can still be very cold and cold water can cause cramps in even the strongest swimmers.

“Currents created by boats and water movements around locks and weirs can also be dangerous. There may also be items lurking beneath the surface that could cause injury.”

The stark message came after four days in which eight others have died while in open water.

They include a 19-year-old who jumped into the Manchester Ship Canal in Salford to rescue his dog on Sunday; a teenager girl who drowned while swimming in a lake in Witney Oxfordshire; and a man who went under while playing on an inflatable unicorn at Pugneys Country Park in Wakefield.

Fatalities have also been seen in Buxton, York, and Sheffield; while a 29-year-old man also drowned after getting out of his depth in the sea off Blackpool.

The extreme heat is, meanwhile, set to continue until the end of the week with forecasters suggesting temperatures could reach 33C in some areas before Friday.