Police remain at river overnight in search for boy

Police will remain at the River Don in South Yorkshire overnight in the search for an 11-year-old boy.

Emergency crews were called to Ferry Boat Lane, Mexborough, at about 20:00 BST on Saturday to reports a boy had entered the water but had not been seen getting out.

South Yorkshire Police said emergency services, an underwater search team and a mountain rescue team had so far been involved in the search of the river, the riverbank and nearby open land.

The boy's family was being supported, the force added, and urged members of the public to stay away from the area to allow crews to carry out their work.

Police search advisor PC Simon Bennett said: "As we have now lost daylight, the search has become more challenging and we will have to await first light to resume extensive search activities, but we aren't giving up.

"Police officers will remain at the River Don overnight and we are already putting plans in place for further searches of the river and nearby land tomorrow.

"The boy and his family are at the forefront of our minds and we are all doing everything we can to find this young man."

Insp Neil Pryce said witnesses and items left on the riverbank indicated where the boy may have entered the water.

He added: "This is a tragic incident and we understand that members of the public want to do all they can to help but we must ask that, for everyone's safety, only those who are involved in our operation enter the River Don."

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews were deployed on Saturday to assist with the search but "unfortunately were unable to locate the missing boy".

"Search efforts are currently still ongoing and we have a number of resources still on scene," they added.

"This is an active multi-agency operation, and we ask that the public remain away from the area while the search is ongoing."

At least 15 people have died during the recent heatwave after getting into difficulties in bodies of water.

A 15-year-old girl from Cheshire died in hospital on Saturday after getting into difficulties in the sea off the coast of Merseyside on Bank Holiday Monday.

A woman in her 60s died on Saturday after she and a man got into difficulty after entering the water in Thornton Cleveleys to "rescue their dog". Lancashire Police said the man, also in his 60s, remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old man died after being rescued from a lake in Nottinghamshire, and a body was found in the search for a man who got into difficulty in the water in the Norfolk Broads.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North