Body of teenage boy recovered as number of open water deaths during heatwave reaches 12

A 16-year-old boy has become the 12th person to die in a water-related incident during the heatwave.

Police recovered his body after being called to Bracklinn Falls, near Callander, Stirlingshire, over concern for a person at about 6.45pm on Thursday.

The death is not being treated as suspicious by Police Scotland.

High temperatures have attracted many to open water swimming, and there have been fatalities in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire and Lancashire.

On Thursday, two further open water related deaths were confirmed.

Thames Valley Police said that a 14-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in the River Thames at Donnington Bridge on Wednesday.

Around the same time, the body of another teenage boy was recovered from a pond in Swanscombe, Kent.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has issued a water safety warning following the spate of deaths, urging people to follow key safety advice if they find themselves in trouble in open water.

It warned that: "While the sea or open water may look inviting during hot weather, it remains dangerously cold, putting even the strongest of swimmers at risk of cold water shock."

Cold water shock is a physiological reaction that happens when a sudden change in skin temperature occurs - for example, from hot air to cold water.

It can cause uncontrollable gasping and an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which can lead to panic and drowning very quickly.

The UK has seen a historic May heat wave, with temperatures of over 30C being recorded six days in a row.

Read more from Sky News:
Heatwave deaths: What is cold water shock?
Two charged after woman shot dead outside bar

Sky News weather presenter Kirsty McCabe said that while temperatures will now drop, South East England will still see warm temperatures of 28C or 29C on Friday and Saturday.

However, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, cloud and outbreaks of rain are expected to move in, with some thundery downpours possible.

Much of England and Wales will remain dry and sunny.

(c) Sky News 2026: Body of teenage boy recovered as number of open water deaths during heatwave reaches 12