Tragic news has emerged after a 17-year-old boy went missing in the River Thames.
His body was found 18 hours later following a major search and rescue operation in Lechlade-on-Thames, Gloucestershire.
The boy had been playing with friends before he ‘failed to resurface’ in front of them.
The group of four boys, all believed to be around age 17, were at the location when the incident occurred.
Some of the boys went into the water to search for him, but were unable to locate him. Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 10pm on Sunday, April 30.
Police, fire, and ambulance crews, as well as local search groups, joined forces to search for the missing boy.
Four teens were pulled from the water and taken to The Riverside pub. The boy’s body was later discovered on Monday afternoon (May 1).
Formal identification has not yet taken place, but the boy’s next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from trained officers.
The death is not being treated as suspicious.
The body of 17-year-old boy who went missing in River Thames found
A spokesperson for the police expressed condolences for the boy’s family and friends, stating that their thoughts were with them during this difficult time.
The landlord of The Riverside pub reopened the establishment late last night to accommodate the rescued teenagers, who were initially seen wrapped in metallic blankets in the back of an ambulance.
According to a boater moored up near the pub, the group had been camping half a mile upstream near the Round House.
There is a wooden bridge across the river in that location.
A spokesman from Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service provided more details about the search, saying that they were called at 10:03pm by the coast guard after reports that some teenagers, believed to be aged about 17, had been playing in the river at Lechlade and one hadn’t resurfaced.
They assisted the search by sending three crews from Fairford, Gloucester South, and Tewkesbury, along with boat crews.
They liaised with the coast guard and the police, who were co-ordinating the search, and left the scene at around 4am.
The discovery of the boy’s body is a tragic event, and it serves as a reminder of the dangers of swimming in open water, especially during the colder months.
Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the young man during this difficult time.
Aiva Arthur
