A 15-year-old girl has died after getting into trouble in water in a rural village in Greater Manchester, just hours after the community’s annual duck race.
Police rushed to the scene in Broadbottom, situated just outside the Peak District in Tameside, around 7.50pm on Wednesday along with paramedics and fire and rescue crews.
Emergency services launched a major search of a body of water near Hodge Lane, believed to be the River Etherow which runs beside it.
The teenager was found and pulled from the water, but was pronounced dead despite the best efforts of medics at the scene.
A teenage girl has sadly died following a search in water near Hodge Lane, Broadbottom.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 15, 2023
Enquiries are ongoing but detectives from Tameside CID are confident there aren’t any suspicious circumstances.
Officers are supporting the family during this incredibly difficult time.
River Etherow is said to be a popular swimming spot during warm weather.
Wednesday’s tragedy came just hours after the village of Broadbottom hosted its annual rubber duck race on the river, which finished in Hodge Lane followed by a barbecue and prize-giving.
Detective Superintendent Rebecca Boyce, of Greater Manchester Police, said: “Yesterday evening’s events are nothing short of devastating and my deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of the girl who lost her life in such awful circumstances.
“Officers will continue to support the family during this incredibly difficult time.”
An investigation is underway, but detectives from Tameside CID say they are confident there aren’t any suspicious circumstances, and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
A spokesperson for the Broadbottom Community Association said: “We were shocked and deeply saddened to hear about this tragedy. Our thoughts are with the girl’s family and friends at this terrible time.”
The girl’s death comes after a number of young people have died in tragic drownings already this year, as the temperature in the UK has soared.
Fifteen-year-old Erin Madden drowned in front of friends, while swimming in a reservoir at Carr Mill Dam, in St Helens, Merseyside, on June 1.
Just a day earlier, on May 31, a 17-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl died after getting into difficulty in the water off the Bournemouth coast, in an incident that left eight others injured. A riptide is among suspected causes of the tragedy, which is still being investigated by police.
