14-year-old boy is missing and believed to have drowned after getting into difficulty in the Thames in Richmond. The teenager is believed to have entered the water to “cool off” during the heatwave on Monday when temperatures have reached more than 37C. It comes as four other people have died while swimming in open water during the recent spell of hot weather. The Metropolitan Police said they were alerted by the London Ambulance Service to reports that a child had been seen to enter the water at Tagg’s Island in Hampton. Officers responded with paramedics and the London Fire Brigade.
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An extensive search was carried out involving all three emergency services and members of the public. “Very sadly, efforts to locate the boy were unsuccessful and at 6.40pm the rescue operation was brought to an end. Efforts to recover his body will continue into this evening,” a Metropolitan Police spokesman said. His next of kin are aware and are being supported by specialist officers. Superintendent Richard Smith, from the South West Command Unit, said: “Despite the very best efforts of all involved, we must now sadly conclude that this young boy has died. “His death is a tragedy and I cannot begin to imagine what his family will be going through. All our thoughts are with them. “I know that on days like today when temperatures are at a record high, it might look appealing to jump in and cool off in rivers, reservoirs, lakes or other open water. “Please don’t. The dangers are real and this evening in Richmond we have seen the terrible consequences of what happens when it goes wrong. “To young people in particular, I would urge you to be the person in your group of friends who says no and reminds others about the dangers. Your intervention could save a life and save another family from experiencing such an awful loss.” A 16-year-old boy died earlier on Tuesday after getting into difficulty in Bray Lake, near Maidenhead, in Berkshire. The family of Robert Hattersley, 13, of Crawcrook, who died following an incident in the River Tyne near Ovingham in Northumberland on Sunday, paid tribute to the teenager, saying he “brought a smile to so many people’s faces and he will be missed by absolutely everyone who knew and loved him”. While the body of a 50-year-old man was recovered from Ardsley Reservoir, between Leeds and Wakefield, on Sunday. A 16-year-old boy died after he was seen struggling in the water at Salford Quays, Greater Manchester, on Saturday.
