River Calder death prompts open water safety warning

A search of the River Calder was carried out by specialist fire service crew and police

A warning has been issued about open water swimming after a 13-year-old boy died in a river in West Yorkshire.

The teenager was reportedly playing with friends by the River Calder in Brighouse on Tuesday afternoon when he got into difficulty in the water.

Emergency crews carried out a search of the river and recovered his body.

Amid the warm weather, police said there had been reports of youths swimming in other outdoor areas and urged them to be aware of the dangers.

Emergency crews pulled the boy's body from the water

West Yorkshire Police said it had received calls about people swimming in ponds at St Aidan's nature reserve in Leeds among other places.

A spokesperson said: "It's that time of the year again where youths gathering outdoors to enjoy themselves and whilst we encourage that, we want them to be as safe as possible.

"So far this year there has already been a few cases where people have died whilst swimming outdoors."

Police said it was believed the boy's death in Brighouse was a tragic accident

Their plea was echoed by York Rescue Boat, an independent lifeboat and search and rescue team.

David Wilson, from the organisation, said: "The weather is still nice and warm but the rivers are still quite cold so when you first go into the water you find it hard to breathe and if you spend any time in the water you'll start to losing muscle power."

A spokesperson added: "The air temperature is nice and warm but the rivers and areas of open water are not, there can be hidden dangers under the surface that you cannot see."

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Police said an investigation into precisely what happened to the boy in the River Calder was continuing but it was believed to be a tragic accident.