Warnings after boy, 16, dies in canal

A 16-year-old has died after getting into difficulties in a canal, prompting emergency services to issued a warning about swimming in hot weather.

The alarm was raised on Monday afternoon at the Aire and Calder Navigation when Alfie McCraw, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, went missing in the water.

Police, paramedics and fire crews went to the scene and his body was recovered following a search.

Superintendent Nick Smart, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “This was an extremely tragic incident which has resulted in the loss of the life of a boy who had just finished his GCSEs.

“We have specially trained officers who are supporting Alfie’s family at this unimaginably awful time.

“We are working with the Canal & River Trust to deliver some inputs into schools before they break up for the holidays to warn of the dangers of open water swimming, but we need everyone to help us in spreading this message.

“The weather is forecast to get even hotter over the weekend and into next week, but we would urge people to not be tempted to cool off in open water, unless it is a supervised area intended for swimming.

“Anyone entering cold water suddenly is susceptible to hyperventilation, which can result in the body going into seizure.

“There can also be hidden currents and unseen dangers such as mud banks or items under the water which a swimmer can become caught on.”

District Station Commander Jimmy Fitt, of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said Alfie’s death was tragic.

He said: “Our advice is to not go into any area of water that isn’t supervised – as the pull of water, cold water shock and hidden dangers can mean even strong swimmers get into difficulty.

“We need people of all ages to be aware of the risks – we know when it’s warm it’s tempting to get into the water, but you must only do it in safe designated areas or the consequences can be fatal.”