Girl, 15, dies after swimming in St Helens reservoir with friends | UK news

A 15-year-old girl has drowned in a reservoir in Merseyside, as rescuers highlighted the need to educate young people about the dangers of water.

The girl’s body was recovered from the water at Carr Mill Dam in St Helens on Thursday afternoon, just days after a 15-year-old boy drowned in the River Eden in Carlisle.

The teenage girl, who has not yet been named, “got into distress” while swimming with friends, Merseyside police said.

Emergency services were called at 12.30pm and police and fire and rescue officers, along with an underwater search team, ambulances, fire engines and a helicopter, were deployed to assist in the rescue.

“Firefighters in water kit entered the dam to search,” said the St Helens area manager for Merseyside fire and rescue service, Kevin Longshaw.

“Working jointly with our police and ambulance colleagues, we were able to establish the location of the young person and tragically were able to confirm that a body was recovered shortly after. Our thoughts are very much with the family and all those affected by this tragic incident.”

He said the girl’s next of kin had been informed and would be offered support by specialist officers.

The UK experienced its hottest day of the year last Sunday during the bank holiday weekend, and many children are off school on a half-term break.

An eyewitness, Adele Laitak, told PA Media she had heard a girl shouting: “It sounded to me like she was saying ‘help’,” she said. “It sounded like she was in distress but we couldn’t see anything from where we were. As we came round, we saw fire engines.”

She added: “Some women told us two children had gone into the water but one had managed to get out.”

Ch Insp Paul Holden said: “When the schools return for the summer term our schools officers will work with St Helens council to ensure that we are able to educate young people about the dangers of water.”

He added: “We know how tempting it can be to cool down in the water on a hot summer’s day, but we want to ensure that young people are equipped with the right knowledge to keep them safe around water.”

In 2022, 226 accidental drownings occurred in the UK. Nearly half (46%) took place in the three summer months of June, July and August, when the UK experienced record temperatures , and 60% took place in inland water, such as reservoirs, rivers and canals, according to the latest statistics from the National Water Safety Forum.