Teenage girl found dead in water at country park named

A teenage girl who was found dead after getting into difficulty in open water in north Warwickshire has been named by her school as Lillianna Tomlinson.

The year 11 pupil at Kingsbury School, died entering the River Tame close to Kingsbury Water Park, near Tamworth, on Monday. She was thought to be aged 16.

Headteacher Martin Clarke said it was "with great sadness" the school had to confirm the death of one of its students. The school would open for two hours on Thursday for students, staff and parents to come together.

At least six more youngsters, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 70s also died in separate incidents at beauty spots across England as temperatures reached record highs.

Following the tragedies, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) urged families to speak to young people about the dangers of entering unsupervised open water such as rivers, lakes, quarries, canals and reservoirs.

In a letter to parents Clarke said the news would come as a shock to the school community, adding: "Our thoughts are with Lillianna's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time."

The school said support was being put in place for students, including access to pastoral and safeguarding staff, bereavement support, and drop-in sessions with the school nurse team.

It added a book of condolences would be made available and also asked parents and carers to be mindful of speculating on social media.

"We kindly ask that the privacy of Lillianna's family and friends is respected at this time."

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.

Warwickshire Police said there had been reports of people jumping off a bridge over the river on Monday afternoon but the family member said Lillianna was not one of them.

Gavin Ellis, NFCC Drowning Prevention lead, said tragedies suchas those that happened during the hot weather can happen "very quickly", but "many are preventable".

He added: "Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how confident they feel in the water.

"We're asking parents and carers to have open conversations with children and teenagers about the risks, and for young people to look after each other and make safe decisions around water."

Kineret Kahana, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said anyone who got into difficulties 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.

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