People have been warned about the dangers of taking a dip in open water after the body of a teenager was recovered from the River Aire.

The body was pulled from the water near Caridgan Fields in Kirkstall at 1.30am on Wednesday, June 27, after firefighters, police and a helicopter crew conducted an extensive search.

They had been called to the scene at around 6.45pm the previous day by someone who had seen a 17-year-old getting into the river.

When the weather gets warmer in the summer months many people are tempted to take a dip in rivers or reservoirs but few are aware of the risks.

Even the strongest swimmers can go into shock when they enter the cold water and this can cause them to gasp uncontrollably and breathe in water, which often leads to drowning.

They can also get swept away by the current or get caught in hidden hazards, like rocks or debris.

The underwater search and marine unit for West Yorkshire in Kirkstall last night

Yorkshire Ambulance Service says crews across the country dealt with 239 drowning incidents in 2017/18 and the vast majority of them happened in May, June and July.

Rescues, injuries and deaths 2015-2017


Water rescues


People injured




Earlier this year the bodies of Martin Andrews and his 19-year-old son Jack, both from Leeds, were found in the River Calder, hours after they set out to go magnet fishing.

And last year Artur Sevcov, a father from Leeds, tragically lost his life when he decided to swim out into Horbury Lagoon after drinking with family and friends on a weekend camping trip.

At his inquest, the coroner said he "paid a huge price for an error of judgement and as a consequence a family have been left without a child and husband".

Police searching for Artur Sevcov in Horbury Lagoon in August 2017

Stephen Segasby, deputy director of operations at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “Warmer weather usually means an increase in 999 calls to incidents where people have needed emergency medical attention after swimming in rivers, reservoirs and other waterways.

“Even on a hot day, the temperature of deep water rarely gets above freezing, and swimmers can easily suffer cold water shock and put themselves at risk of drowning.

“Every year, lives are tragically lost across the UK, so please stay safe and stay out of open water.”

What to do if you see someone struggling in deep water

Emergency throwlines have been placed along the River Aire

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service has issued the following advice:


West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service carried out 82 water rescues in Leeds between 2015 and 2017, but over that three-year period 23 people were injured in open water and five died.

Lou Evans was one of the lucky ones. She was rescued by firefighters after falling into the River Aire in Leeds city centre, at around 4am on March 3.

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She was almost swept away but managed to grab onto a chain and hang on.

Security guard Richard Goc then noticed what was going and he phoned 999 before tossing an emergency throwline into the water so she could get hold of it.

The 20-year-old clung on in the icy water until the firefighters arrived on the scene and rescued her using a ladder.

Shortly after the rescue, she told LeedsLive: "The fire service were there to save me from what could have been the end of my life, I'm just so grateful to them for that.

"It could have ended so differently and I'm forever indebted to them."

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service says it is committed to eliminating drowning deaths in Leeds city centre, but in order to do that it needs people to act sensibly around open water.

