Four teenagers have drowned and a 60-year-old man has died in separate open water incidents across the UK over the bank holiday weekend.
With temperatures soaring past 30C, police in Lincolnshire, Devon and Cornwall, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Warwickshire, confirmed the deaths amid warnings of the “very real risk” of swimming in open water during the heatwave.
On Sunday, 15-year-old Declan Sawyer died at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln after going missing after entering the water.
Declan's father Carl said he was "very much loved by his friends and family, and will be missed dearly by many".
He added: "With his tragic and unexpected passing on Sunday at Swanholme Lakes, we would like to raise awareness about children playing near any rivers or lakes in the hot weather.
"Please can all parents, friends and family make their children aware of the dangers surrounding water."
On Monday, a 13-year-old boy, named locally as Reco Puttock, died after getting into difficulty at Leadbeater Dam, near Halifax in West Yorkshire.
Also on Monday, the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water at Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire, while the body of a fourth teenager was found at Rother Valley Country Park near Rotherham in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
A man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest on Monday afternoon after running into the sea to help two struggling relatives on Tregirls Beach in Cornwall. The two family members were brought to safety by members of the public.
A search remains underway for another boy who is missing after getting into difficulty swimming in the River Ribble in Lancashire on Tuesday.
Much of the country is in an official heatwave, with amber and yellow heat-health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
However, on Tuesday the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said that water temperatures remained low and could lead to cold water shock, which can in turn lead to hyperventilation, a spike in heart rate and blood pressure as the body reacts to cold water.
In a statement, the RNLI said: “While the air temperature is warm, the seas are still cold and cold water shock remains a very real risk.
“With many school children enjoying half term, the lifesaving charity is urging everyone to stay safe.”
The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) also issued a warning following the deaths, saying that "warmer weather unfortunately sees an increase in accidental drownings".
The RLSS added that anyone who sees someone in an emergency in the water should call 999, stay out of the water themselves and throw them something that floats, such as a plastic water bottle or football, for them to hold onto and stay afloat while help is on the way.
