Body found in search for boy, 12, missing in Lancashire river

A body has been found in the search for a 12-year-old boy who went missing while swimming in a river in Lancashire.

The boy was with friends when he got into difficulty in the River Ribble at Ribchester at about 14:00 BST on Tuesday. Police and fire crews with underwater units searched the area until a body was recovered from the water at about 19:50 BST. Formal identification has not yet taken place, but Lancashire Police said they believe it to be the body of the missing boy.

Wednesday will bring cooler air to northern and eastern England after record heat swept parts of the UK. Some areas of London reached 35C on Tuesday, breaking a record set the day before. Kew Gardens in south-west London recorded a provisional 35.1C, above Monday's 34.8C at the same site. Wales also set a new May record, with 32.3C at Cardiff's Bute Park.

Temperatures are expected to remain in the heatwave range in parts of Wales, the West Country and south-west England. The UK Health Security Agency issued amber and yellow heat-health alerts for many areas until 17:00 BST on Thursday. The agency warned that water-related incidents may increase, including risks from cold-water shock and drowning.

There have been multiple water-related deaths in recent days. In Halifax, West Yorkshire, a 13-year-old boy named locally as Reco Puttock was pronounced dead after being pulled from Leadbeater Dam. In Warwickshire, the body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park. In Rotherham, South Yorkshire, police recovered the body of a teenage boy from a lake in Rother Valley Country Park. At Tregills Beach near Padstow, Cornwall, a man in his 60s died after running into the sea to help two relatives in difficulty.

A 15-year-old boy, Declan Sawyer, is also believed to have drowned at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln on Sunday. Emergency services are searching for a teenage boy reported missing at Pickmere Lake in Cheshire.

New figures from the National Water Safety Forum show more accidental drowning deaths occurred inland than on the coast for the seventh consecutive year in 2025. The forum recommended swimming in supervised locations with lifeguards where possible and entering the water slowly to reduce the risk of cold-water shock. The Royal Life Saving Society warned that water remains very cold despite the warm air and said anyone who sees someone in trouble should call 999, stay out of the water and throw something that floats.