Flowers laid as teenage girl found dead in water
BBCA teenage girl has died at a country park in north Warwickshire.
The girl, thought to be aged 16, was pronounced dead at the scene at Kingsbury Water Park, near Tamworth, after her body was recovered on Monday evening.
An investigation had begun, police said, and people urged to avoid speculating about what happened. Police later said there had been reports of young people jumping off a bridge over the River Tame that afternoon. Witnesses said the girl's dad had tried to rescue her as did a teenage boy.
Two more teenagers died in separate incidents at beauty spots across England as temperatures reached record highs on Bank Holiday Monday.
The girl's next of kin had been informed and were being supported by specially-trained officers, the force added.
A family member, who did not wish to be identified, told the BBC the girl was a 16-year-old pupil at Kingsbury School and she could not swim.
They said the incident happened in the River Tame, which runs along the eastern edge of the park, and a teenage boy had tried to rescue the girl.
There had been people jumping off the bridge earlier close to where she died but she was not one of them, they added.
Witness Sandy Barnes, a former lifeguard who was at the scene before police arrived, said the girl's father went into the river in an attempt to rescue her.
"I wanted to jump in," she said. "I wanted to go in and look but obviously people stopped me - it's just really upsetting and very scary."
Ch Insp Ben Hembry, of Warwickshire Police, said there had been reports of young people jumping off the bridge over the river on Monday afternoon.
He said the force was "desperately" trying to prevent these things from happening and officers were working to educate people about the dangers of open water.
"Without doubt, this is going to have a significant impact on the local community," he told BBC Midlands Today.
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of this young person. It's desperately tragic and it will no doubt resonate across the community."
Officers would remain in the area over the coming days providing reassurance, police said.
The site, which is home to 15 lakes and more than 600 acres of parkland, is run by Warwickshire County Council.
On the park's website, the authority said visitors must not enter the water at any time, which includes using kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and dinghies.
"This is a heartbreaking incident and my sincere condolences go out to the young girl's loved ones," council leader George Finch said.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service recently warned people about the dangers of the water for people who might be "tempted to cool off".
"Even on warm days, the water can still be very cold and cold water shock is highly dangerous," a spokesperson said in a social media post on Monday afternoon.
"We experience in increase in call-outs to water-related incidents in the summer months. Please help us to keep you safe and avoid entering bodies of water."
Kineret Kahana from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said anyone who falls into water should try to float instead of swim.
"Our instinct may be to start swimming but a lot of the time our body is in shock, especially if you fall into very cold water, which is really dangerous," she told BBC Radio WM.
Kahana advised not to jump in after anyone who falls into water and to instead call 999 for help before throwing them a buoyancy device if one is available.
"It's a huge shock to the system," she added, "and even experienced swimmers might find they are in difficulty."
She also said people should not attempt to swim after drinking alcohol or taking any other substance "that might harm you if you are planning on going swimming".
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