Teenager dies in Malvern Hills quarry lake swim

A diving team from South Wales Police and local firecrews searched for the boy

A teenage boy has died while swimming in a lake at a quarry in the Malvern Hills.

The boy's body was pulled from water at Gullet Quarry in Worcestershire about three and a half hours after the alarm was raised when he failed to resurface.

The boy has not been named and police said his death at the quarry near Upper Colwall was not being treated as suspicious but as a "tragic accident".

West Mercia Police warned people of the dangers of swimming in open water.

'Think twice'

A diving team from South Wales Police and crews from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service were among those who searched for the boy after being called to the quarry at about 13:20 BST on Saturday.

His body was found at about 16:50.

Det Insp Richard Rees from West Mercia Police said: "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."

Alan Stanley, from emergency support organisation Severn Area Rescue, said cold water can cause people to get in to difficulties.

"It's that extreme in temperature that makes the brain react to try and save major organs of the body and shut down certain functions," he added.