A body has been found in the search for a man who got into trouble in a lake in Doncaster, police said.
Emergency services attended the scene at Lakeside Lake on Saturday afternoon after receiving calls that the man, who is in his 20s, was in distress, South Yorkshire Police said.
The force said: “We are very sorry to report that following earlier reports of an incident in Lakeside, Doncaster, a body has now been recovered.”
Formal identification has not yet taken place but the man’s family have been informed and are being supported by specialist staff.
A police plane was seen circling the lake for 20 minutes after the initial reports.
Specialist teams have been involved in the search for the man and South Yorkshire Police have asked people to avoid the area.
It comes after temperatures topped 30C in many parts of England on Saturday.
More than 20 people have lost their loved ones after getting into trouble in the water during this summer’s extreme heat.
Read more: UK drowning prevention campaign launched
IF YOU SEE SOMEONE STRUGGLING IN THE WATER:
Call 999 – ask for fire and rescue if you’re inland or the coastguard if you’re 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 lie on your back
Stretch your arms and legs so you can better float
Once you are calm and oriented, call for help
In the UK, most drowning deaths occur during the three summer months, with July being the worst.
In July, 14-year-old Brian Sassou drowned off Tagg Island near Hampton Court in south-west London after diving to cool off in the UK heatwave when his school closed early.
And teenager Robert Hattersley also lost his life in the River Tyne near Ovingham, Northumberland. The 13-year-old’s family have been left “absolutely devastated”.
Last year, 277 people died after drowning in the UK, compared to 254 in 2020 and 233 in 2019.
The prevention initiative, called Respect The Water, is spearheaded by the National Water Safety Forum. It aims to halve by 2026 the number of people in the UK who accidentally die in the water each year.
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