Boy drowns in lake while trying to keep cool in heatwave

A teenage boy has drowned while swimming in a lake in an old quarry in the Malvern Hills after trying and cool off in the 30C heat.

The child was pulled from Gullet Quarry, Worcestershire, nearly four hours after he had failed to resurface, reports the BBC.

Rescuers tried but failed to resuscitate him at the scene.

Police have now issued a warning against swimming in the dangerous bodies of water.

The tragedy comes as the UK's emergency services say they are receiving a record number of emergency calls because of the heatwave, reports the Daily Mail.

Emergency workers say misdemeanours in the hot sun are to blame for the excess of calls and have warned against the dangers of sunstroke and burns, BBQ accidents, dehydration and swimming-related dangers, as the UK enjoys a heatwave

The boy who drowned has not yet been named.

Emergency services including an air ambulance and specialist diving teams were rushed to the scene after reports of the boy's disappearance.

A woman who lives locally, but did not want to be named, told Worcester News that this was not the first death a the quarry.

"There are signs up all around saying don't swim or dive, and that people have been killed in the last few years here," she said.

"Under the water there's the old machinery still down there.

"But kids still thrown themselves off the cliffs into the water, and that water is freezing cold."

Another resident, Bill Frankly, 68, said: 'That quarry must be 100ft deep in the middle. When they left they left a crane in there and I think it's still stood upright in the water hidden from view.

"In the past a lad who jumped off the cliff hit the side and broke his back as he went down. It's dangerous to try and swim or dive."

Speaking to the Daily Mail, West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "'The emergency services attend cases such as this all too often and we would urge members of the public to heed our warnings about swimming in rivers, lakes and quarries as it is extremely dangerous and can end in tragedy."

Detective Inspector Richard Rees, from West Mercia Police, told the BBC: 'This appears to have been a tragic accident and our thoughts are with the boy's family and friends at this sad time.

"While it is too early to give a cause of death, we would like to take this opportunity to remind people about the dangers of open water.

"With the warm weather upon us and the school holidays approaching, we would advise people to think twice about going into local rivers, lakes and canals in order to cool off.

"We are privileged to live and work in a beautiful part of the country with a huge area of water.

"However, this comes with its dangers and we would appeal for people to recognise the risks associated with water and act responsibly."

Fire chiefs issued an urgent 'BBQ' warning after a man was badly burned when he poured petrol onto an outdoor cooking stove, reports the Daily Mail.

The 42-year-old from Rayleigh, Essex, was treated by paramedics for burns to his arms and hands, but Essex Fire and Rescue Service said the incident could have been much more serious and in a top ten barbeque safety tips, warned people never to use an accelerant with a BBQ.

Related articles

Heatwave to last for weeks as temperatures climb to over 30C