Body found in search for man who got into trouble in Doncaster lake | UK News

A body has been found in the search for a man who got into trouble in a lake in Doncaster, the police have said.

The emergency services attended the scene at Lakeside Lake on Saturday afternoon after receiving calls that the man, who was in his 20s, had got into difficulty, South Yorkshire Police said.

The force said: “We are very sorry to report that following earlier information about an incident at Lakeside, Doncaster, a body has now been found.”

Formal identification is yet to take place, but the man’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

A police plane had been sighted circling the lake for 20 minutes after the initial reports.

Specialist teams were involved in the search for the man and South Yorkshire Police had asked the public to avoid the area.

More than 20 people have lost their lives after getting into difficulty in water during the extreme heat this summer.

Temperatures exceeded 30C in many parts of England on Saturday.

Read more:
Campaign launches to prevent drowning in UK

IF YOU SEE SOMEONE STRUGGLING IN THE WATER:

Call 999 – ask for Fire & Rescue if inland or the Coastguard if by the sea

Tell the struggling person to try to float on their back

Throw them something that floats – anything, even a football

IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING IN THE WATER:

Try to lay on your back

Stick your arms and legs out to enable better floating

Once you have calmed down and got your bearings, shout for help

In the UK, most deaths by drowning occur in the three summer months, with July being the worst.

Last month Brian Sasu, 14, drowned off Tagg’s Island near Hampton Court in southwest London after taking a dip to cool off when his school closed early.

Robert Hattersley, 13, died in the River Tyne near Ovingham, Northumberland. His family were left “absolutely devastated”.

Last year, 277 people died after drowning in the UK, up from 254 in 2020 and 233 in 2019.

A campaign to prevent drowning, called Respect The Water, has been launched.

The National Water Safety Forum, which is running the initiative, aims to halve by 2026 the number of people in the UK who accidentally die in the water each year.