Body recovered in River Ribble search for missing 12-year-old boy

Police and rescue crews searching the River Ribble in Ribchester recovered a body on Tuesday night after a 12-year-old boy went into difficulty while swimming with friends. Lancashire Police said officers were called at 2.06pm after a report of concern for safety, triggering a major operation that drew in the force’s underwater search unit, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, paramedics, a police helicopter and the North West Air Ambulance.

The body was found in the river at about 7.50pm. Police believe it is that of the missing boy, although formal identification has not yet taken place. Lancashire Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious and that a file will be passed to HM Coroner.

The incident unfolded as much of the UK endured a record-breaking May heatwave. The Met Office said 35.1C was recorded at Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday, provisionally breaking the UK’s May and spring temperature record for a second day in a row. That extreme heat has driven more people to seek relief near rivers, lakes and reservoirs, where conditions can be far more dangerous than they appear from the bank.

Open water can turn quickly, especially for children and inexperienced swimmers. River currents, cold patches beneath the surface and unseen hazards can overwhelm even a strong swimmer, and rescue charities have warned that hot weather often creates a false sense of safety. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution said there was a “very real risk” in swimming in open water during the heatwave.

Lancashire Police said: “Our thoughts are very much with his loved ones at this extremely distressing time.” The recovery at Ribchester has left a community facing a loss that police and rescue crews approached first as a desperate search, then as a recovery operation, before turning the case over to the coroner.