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Man, 20, dies after being pulled from lake at water park in heatwave

His death marks another open water tragedy in the heatwave

Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Tuesday 19 July 2022 12:35 EDT
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Man, 20, dies after being pulled from lake at Cotswold water park
Man, 20, dies after being pulled from lake at Cotswold water park (Getty Images)

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A man in his 20s has died following an incident at Cotswold Water Park, Ashton Keynes.

Wiltshire Police said they were called to the scene shortly after 6pm on Monday.

The force said: “Sadly, a man in his 20s was confirmed deceased shortly after being pulled from the water.

“Our thoughts are with his family at this tragic time. We are not treating his death as suspicious.”

The unprecedented extreme heat has resulted in several open water swimming deaths since the heatwave began in the UK.

A teenage boy died while swimming with friends in a canal in Manchester on Saturday evening.

The teenager was seen struggling in the water at Salford Quays at around 6.15pm. His body was located and recovered by specialist divers overnight.

Another teenager, Alfie McCraw, died while swimming in a canal near Wakefield.

Alfie McCraw, died while swimming in a canal near Wakefield
Alfie McCraw, died while swimming in a canal near Wakefield (PA)

The teenager had just finished his GCSEs and the emergency services said they would talk to local schools to warn pupils of the dangers of swimming in open water during hot weather.

The body of 50-year-old man was also recovered from Ardsley Reservoir in West Yorkshire on Sunday afternoon.

Detective Inspector Phil Hughes urged the public not to enter or swim in open waters following the man’s death.

“This is a tragic incident in which a man has lost his life.

“This incident serves as a timely reminder about the dangers of swimming in open water.”

District Station Commander Jimmy Fitt, of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, joined in warning against open water swimming.

He said: “Our advice is to not go into any area of water that isn’t supervised – as the pull of water, cold water shock and hidden dangers can mean even strong swimmers get into difficulty.

“We need people of all ages to be aware of the risks – we know when it’s warm it’s tempting to get into the water, but you must only do it in safe designated areas or the consequences can be fatal.”

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