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Body found after boy dies in Swanscombe lake - 10th person to die in open water

A body has been recovered in a major search for a young man who went missing after he entered a lake in the Swanscombe area of Kent on Wednesday

[An aerial view of a group of individuals, dressed in life jackets, gathered on the edge of a river. Two red inflatable boats are positioned in the water nearby.]

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A search mission was launched yesterday(Image: UKNIP)

A body has been recovered in a major search for a young man who went missing after he entered a lake in the Swanscombe area of Kent on Wednesday. Ten people have died in open water in the UK in the last few days.

Kent Police said officers were called to Galley Hill Road in Swanscombe shortly before 3pm yesterday afternoon after reports of concern for a swimmer in a pond. Police, fire and ambulance crews attended but sadly the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement the force said: "Kent Police was called to Galley Hill Road in Swanscombe at 2.55pm on Wednesday 27 May 2026 following a report of concern for a swimmer in a pond.

"Officers attended along with the Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the South East Coast Ambulance Service, where the body of a teenage boy was recovered. His death is not being treated as suspicious at this time and a report will be prepared for the coroner."

Meanwhile Junior Slater, 12, vanished while swimming with friends in the River Ribble, in Lancashire, at 2pm on Tuesday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the Ribchester on Tuesday shortly after 2pm following reports of concern for the welfare of a child in the water while swimming with friends. Police confirmed the body of a child was recovered at around 7.50pm.

On Sunday Declan Sawyer, 15, died after getting into trouble at Swanholme Lakes, Lincoln. Lincolnshire Police received reports at around 2.30pm on Sunday of a boy in difficulty in the lake. The force confirmed on Sunday night that Declan's body had been recovered.

[Tributes left to the 16-year-old girl who died at Kingsbury Water Park on Monday]

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Tributes left to the 16-year-old girl who died at Kingsbury Water Park on Monday(Image: Anita Maric/SWNS)

Reco Puttock, died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax, West Yorkshire, amid the scorching heatwave on Bank Holiday Monday.

The body of a teenage girl was also recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park, Warwickshire on Bank Holiday Monday. Officers confirmed the 16-year-old girl was recovered from the water shortly after 7.20pm and, despite the best efforts of emergency services, was pronounced dead at the scene.

In Cornwall on the same day a man tragically died at a beach in Cornwall after entering the sea to help two family members struggling in the water.

On Tuesday Multiple emergency services swarmed Rother Valley Park after a teenage boy entered the water and was not seen getting out. A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson later said: "Sadly, in the early hours of this morning, a body was recovered from the water. Whilst formal identification is yet to take place, the boy's family has been informed and is being supported by officers."

The spate of deaths in the water have come as the UK baked under record temperatures, with some areas experiencing heatwave conditions. The mercury reached 35.1C on Tuesday, making it the hottest day in May on record for England, breaking the previous record set just the day before.

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