The family of a 12-year-old who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in the heatwave have released a heartbreaking tribute. The boy can now be named as Junior Slater who was from Clayton le Woods, Lancashire.
He had been swimming with friends in the River Ribble on Tuesday, May 26, the hottest May day on record. Emergency services were called just after 2pm to a report of a boy getting in difficulty after entering the river at Ribchester, a village in Lancashire. Authorities launched a large-scale search, involving officers from Lancashire Police’s underwater search unit and colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service. Colleagues from North-West Ambulance Service provided support. But tragically, his body was recovered from the river around 7.50pm.
In a tribute 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.”
Junior’s family continue to be supported by specially trained family liaison officers and the family have asked for privacy at this time. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be passed in due course to HM Coroner.
The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) has issued an alert after seven people lost their lives in the water over the past week during a period of unprecenented hot weather, most of which involved children.
RLSS warned that water temperatures remained very cold despite increased air temperatures, and it can be difficult get out of the water or swim when in cold water shock.
Junior Slater was the youngest person to lose his life. At Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln, 15-year-old Declan Sawyer was found dead after getting into difficulty at about 2.30pm on Sunday.
On Bank Holiday Monday, four people died, three of whom were children. A 13-year-old boy named locally as Reco Puttock tragically died after getting into difficulty in Leadbeater Dam in Halifax.
Teenager Lillianna Tomlinson was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire, and the body of a teenage boy was recovered from a lake in Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham.
A man in his 60s died after running to help two relatives who had got into difficulty at Tregirls Beach near Padstow, Cornwall.
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