Kent Pond Death Lifts UK Heatwave Water Toll to 10 as Temperatures Hit 35.1C
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 28
Kent Pond Death Lifts UK Heatwave Water Toll to 10 as Temperatures Hit 35.1C
12 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 28
A teenage boy's body was recovered from a pond in Swanscombe, Kent, after emergency services were called just before 15:00 BST over concerns for a swimmer.
Kent Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner, adding to 10 water-related deaths during the recent heatwave.
The latest fatality follows other deaths involving teenagers in Lincoln, Halifax, Rotherham, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Farnborough and Lancashire, plus a man in his 60s in Cornwall and a woman in her 70s in Wales.
Royal Life Saving Society said warmer weather brings a rise in accidental drownings and warned that most recent water fatalities involved children.
The deaths came after the UK recorded its hottest day in May on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 35.1C at Kew Gardens in London.
As UK heatwaves become the norm, are safety warnings enough or is a national plan for safe public swimming spaces urgently needed?
With a rising heatwave death toll, should dangerous swimming spots be restricted, or does the public's right to choose prevail?