A search is under way for an 11-year-old boy who was last seen entering the River Don in Mexborough. Emergency services were called to Ferry Boat Lane at about 20:00 BST on Saturday to reports a boy had entered the water but had not been seen getting out. A specialist operation, including underwater searches, remains ongoing and the boy's family is being supported, South Yorkshire Police said. Members of the public are asked to stay away from the area to allow crews to carry out their work, the force added.
Insp Neil Pryce said witnesses and items left on the riverbank indicated where the boy may have entered the water. "Utilising specialist knowledge and skills, a coordinated multi-agency operation is under way and we are doing everything we can to find this young man," he said. "This is a tragic incident and we understand that members of the public want to do all they can to help but we must ask that, for everyone's safety, only those who are involved in our operation enter the River Don." A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews were deployed on Saturday to assist with the search but "unfortunately were unable to locate the missing boy". "Search efforts are currently still ongoing today and we have a number of resources still on scene," they added.
"This is an active multi-agency operation, and we ask that the public remain away from the area while the search is ongoing." At least 15 people have died during the recent heatwave after getting into difficulties in bodies of water. A 15-year-old girl from Cheshire died in hospital on Saturday after getting into difficulties in the sea off the coast of Merseyside on Bank Holiday Monday. A woman in her 60s died on Saturday after she and a man got into difficulty after entering the water in Thornton Cleveleys to "rescue their dog". Lancashire Police said the man, also in his 60s, remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old man died after being rescued from a lake in Nottinghamshire, and a body was found in the search for a man who got into difficulty in the water in the Norfolk Broads.