Two teenagers drown in canals

Published: Tuesday, 19 July 2022

THE hot weather tempting teenagers into the waterways is again having tragic results with two more drownings.

Two 16 years old boys have met their deaths this month whilst swimming in waterways.

Alfie McCraw was rescued from the Aire & Calder at Wakefield last week being pulled from the waterway by the emergency services and rushed to Pinderfields Hospital.

His inquest opened yesterday, it confirming that Alfie's cause of death was drowning and died after he was in difficulty in the water.

Bridgewater Canal

In the early evening of Saturday a boy was seen struggling in the Bridgewater Canal at Salford, with the emergency services called and a search mounted as there was no sign of the boy. Then a body was located and recovered by specialist divers overnight.

The boy has been named as Kalen Waugh with his family being supported by trained officers.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman stated that inquiries are continuing but detectives are at this stage confident that there are no suspicious circumstances, and a file is being prepared for the coroner.

The police reiterated that with the record-breaking heatwave, people need to avoid being tempted to cool off in reservoirs, rivers, canals or ponds.

Another drowning

The body of a boy who went missing on Monday has been recovered from the Thames at Richmond.

It is understood that 14 years old Brian Sasu was unable to swim but was tempted by the cool water of the river and went in to cool off.

A search was launched with his body being discovered downstream from where he entered on Tuesday.