Grandfather drowns after falling into river on family fishing trip

A man drowned after falling into a river while fishing with his three grandsons, police said yesterday. Peter Harrison, 57, died after a fall into the river Eden, in Carlisle, Cumbria. The dead man, who is from Carlisle, is believed to have lost his footing while trying to retrieve something from the water, possibly a ball.

Carlisle fire station manager Craig Drinkald said the river conditions were very calm, but warned people must still be aware of the dangers. "It was a tragic end to a beautiful day," said Mr Drinkald.

"A witness told us one minute he was there and the next minute he had gone. The river must have been 10 to 12 feet deep where we found him."

Distraught relatives looked on from the river bank as fire officers in an inflatable boat searched the murky water with torches but Mr Harrison's body was later found further along the river.

A spokeswoman for Cumbria Police said: "Mr Harrison fell into the river while fishing with his three grandchildren on Friday evening. A search operation was launched, including the Penrith Mountain Rescue team. The body was later found a short distance away. There are no suspicious circumstances."