Teenager is 10th person to die in water during heatwave

The body of a teenage boy has been recovered from a pond in Kent – the 10th person to die in water-related incidents during the recent heatwave.

Emergency services were called to reports of concerns for a swimmer in a pond in the Galley Hill Road area of Swanscombe just before 15:00 BST on Wednesday.

Kent Police said: “His death is not being treated as suspicious at this time and a report will be prepared for the coroner.”

It comes after teenagers died in water-related incidents in Lincoln, Halifax, Rotherham, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Farnborough and Lancashire, along with a man in his 60s in Cornwall and a woman in her 70s in Wales.

Several of the victims have been named and tributes paid, while others have not yet been formally identified by police.

The RLSS said: “Warmer weather unfortunately sees an increase in accidental drownings.”

On Tuesday, the UK recorded the hottest day in May with temperatures reaching 35.1C at Kew Gardens in London.

• Also on Sunday, a 72-year-old woman was pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach, Pembrokeshire in Wales

• On Tuesday, 12-year-old Junior Slater died after getting into difficulty in the River Ribble in Lancashire. His family have paid tribute to “our little blue-eyed boy”

Despite rising temperatures, RLSS warned water temperatures remain very cold, causing shock which can make swimming difficult and make it harder to get out of the water.

Cold-water shock is an involuntary physiological response when the body is suddenly immersed in water.

According to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), anything below 15C is defined as cold water, and average UK and Ireland sea temperatures are 12C, and some rivers can be colder even in summer.

For two days in a row earlier this week, parts of south-east England went above 34C.

Nearly all weather stations across England and Wales also broke their local May temperature records on Monday and Tuesday.

The Met Office says a heatwave happens when an area reaches a certain high temperature for at least three days in a row.

Wednesday brought a reprieve from the record-breaking temperatures which have likely peaked, as cooler air moves over northern and eastern areas of England.

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Kent Police