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Five drown in UK open water during record heatwave
Three additional deaths raised the total to five during the recent heatwave. Police forces in multiple regions confirmed the fatalities over two days.
The IndependentAudio version
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Police in Shropshire recovered the body of a 22-year-old man from the River Severn in Shrewsbury on Saturday morning. Officers said the man had last been seen swimming in the river on Friday. Hampshire Police reported finding the body of a 15-year-old boy at Testwood Lakes near Southampton on Saturday.
The force stated that the boy's family had been informed and was receiving support from trained officers.
Additional fatalities Essex Police confirmed the death of a 69-year-old man in Clacton after officers responded to reports of a person in difficulty in the sea on Friday morning. The force said paramedics, firefighters, and coastguard personnel also attended the scene.
Two earlier deaths occurred during the same period. A 50-year-old man was pronounced dead at Aberavon beach in Wales on Wednesday, and a teenage boy was recovered from a lake in Syston, Leicestershire, after entering the water on Thursday.
Heatwave context The Met Office recorded a provisional temperature of 37.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, on Friday, marking the hottest June day on record. The previous record of 36.7C had been set in Merryfield, Somerset, the day before. At least 15 people, most of them children, drowned while swimming in open water during a May heatwave.
Officials issued warnings that water temperatures can trigger cold water shock even when air temperatures are high.
