Young boy drowns in the Aire & Calder

Published: Wednesday, 12 April 2023

A fourteen years old boy drowned in the Aire & Calder over the Easter weekend.

He was walking the towpath with his girl friend when he jumped into the navigation but was seen to be in difficulty, Keith Gudgin reports.

Sank below the surface

He sank below the surface in the Aire & Calder in the Hunslet area of Leeds and drowned, with the emergency services making a frantic search.

His body was eventually recovered; the emergency services dragging it from the water.

It is understood a boat was going down in the nearby lock creating a strong flow of water as the paddles were opened, causing the boy difficulty in the flow that took the boy downstream.

Police warning

Police issued a warning of the dangers of swimming in the waterways and their very cold water at this time of year.