Nine die in open water during UK heatwave as tributes for ‘blue-eyed boy’ pour in
The Royal Life Saving Society has urged everyone to ‘stop and think’ before entering open water after nine people — most of them children — died during the UK’s record-breaking heatwave
Britons have been warned to stay safe after nine people tragically lost their lives in open water incidents following days of scorching temperatures.
The Royal Life Saving Society has made an urgent appeal for everyone to “stop and think” before entering the water in light of these fatalities, the majority of whom were youngsters. The organisation pointed out that “warmer weather unfortunately correlates to an increase in accidental drownings” and that despite milder air temperatures, “water temperatures remain very cold”.
Tuesday marked the hottest May day on record for both England and Wales, according to the Met Office, with Kew Gardens provisionally hitting 35.1C and Cardiff Bute Park reaching 32.9C.
People throughout the UK have perished after encountering difficulties in open water across South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire in recent days.
Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln, on Sunday. Also on Sunday, a 72-year-old woman died after being pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, at around 3.15pm.
A 13-year-old boy, understood to be Reco Puttock, died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, on Monday, while the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire.
On the same day, a man in his 60s suffered fatal cardiac arrest after entering the sea at Tregirls Beach, Padstow, to assist two relatives who were struggling in the water, Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed.
The body of a teenager was pulled from the water at Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, during the early hours of Tuesday morning, South Yorkshire Police reported.
Another body has been discovered during the search for a teenage boy who vanished after he was last spotted swimming at Hawley Lake on the Hampshire/Surrey border on Tuesday afternoon.
A 12-year-old boy who perished after getting into difficulties in the River Ribble at Ribchester, Lancashire, on Tuesday was identified as Junior Slater from Clayton-le-Woods.
In a tribute, released by Lancashire Police, his 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.”
On Wednesday, Cheshire Police confirmed the body of a 17-year-old boy was discovered after he disappeared in Pickmere Lake at Marston, Northwich.
Alongside nine fatalities in the UK, the Gardai in Ireland also confirmed a teenage girl perished in the sea at Burrow Beach, a popular swimming location near Howth, on Sunday. The RNLI has cautioned of the “very real risk” of swimming in open water during the heatwave.
Visits to NHS web pages have also soared during the heatwaves as people searched for guidance on how to remain safe in the scorching weather. NHS England reported that there were 20,092 visits to its heatstroke advice page on Bank Holiday Monday, a significant increase from just 488 the previous Monday. Over the entire weekend, there were 36,724 hits.
In other areas, individuals seeking advice on how to manage sunburn resulted in 5,342 visits to NHS webpages, totalling 10,314 over the full weekend.
Parents also sought guidance on how to ensure their babies’ safety, with visits to NHS web pages for baby first aid and sun safety tips skyrocketing by nearly 3,500% on Monday, resulting in 4,728 hits.
While many people relished the sunny Bank Holiday weekend, older individuals and babies can be particularly susceptible. There’s also a risk of dehydration and heat exhaustion, which is caused by the body losing excessive amounts of water and salt, and can lead to heatstroke, a potentially fatal condition.
Temperatures are forecast to drop slightly in parts of the UK in the coming days, but health officials have confirmed that heat health alerts will be extended for an additional 24 hours.
The UK Health Security Agency announced that amber alerts for the South West, South East, London, East and West Midlands, and the East of England will remain in effect until 5pm on Thursday, with yellow heat-health alerts for the North West and North East.
The Met Office has also issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for much of Wales, the South West of England, and parts of the Midlands from 3pm to 11.59pm on Wednesday.
The alert extends from Plymouth up to Holyhead and could usher in heavy rain showers, regular lightning strikes, large hailstones and robust, gusty winds.
