Mum drowns in River Ouse while trying to save boy

Updated
Butterfly bridge over the river Great Ouse Bedford
Butterfly bridge over the river Great Ouse Bedford



A woman has died after drowning in the River Ouse in Bedford while trying to save a young boy who got into difficulty.

Leanne Gordon, a mother of three, was reportedly having a picnic with her three children when she spotted someone in distress.

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ITV News reports that she had been playing near a shallow section of the water off Honey Hill Road when she dived into the river.

Gordon's body was found by specialist divers and firefighters on Friday morning, Bedfordshire Police said.

Chief Inspector Nick Lyall told the BBC: "We have mixed reports but she was here having a picnic with her family, that we do know for sure, with her three children.

"At some point she's gone into the river to help somebody that's in distress and we know now the tragic results of that.

"I believe the children were playing by the side of the river but at the moment we are still trying to piece the rest of the circumstances together."

He added: "The main witnesses are her young children."

Neighbour Joe Vacchio said he heard screams of "I can't swim" before police arrived.

Speaking to the Press Association, he said: "The children and their mum were playing in the river. They were diving off into the river. There were screams that my wife heard of 'I can't swim' and that was it really. She hasn't been seen since."

'Hero' Drowns Trying to Save Boy
'Hero' Drowns Trying to Save Boy

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