Teenage girl, 13, dies after being pulled out of river – as police continue to search for 11-year-old boy

A teenage girl has died after being pulled out of a river despite attempts to rescue her by heroic members of the public, as police enter their second day of the search for a boy swept away in a river.

The 13-year-old girl was rescued from the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales National Park near Burnsall in the Skipton area, but died in hospital yesterday.

Her death marks the 15th water-related fatality during the record-breaking heatwave, as police continue to search for an 11-year-old boy who went missing in South Yorkshire’s River Don on Saturday.

An air ambulance rushed to the scene on the banks of the River Wharfe at 6.30pm to reports of the girl struggling in the water.

She was helicopter-lifted for urgent treatment after bystanders had pulled her out of the river and tried to resuscitate her.

Paramedics and specialist rescue teams were on site to help before she was flown to hospital, but none of them could save her.

North Yorkshire Police thanked the members of the public who tried to save her and said, ‘Our thoughts remain with her family at this very distressing time.’

The force added that they were not yet in a position to identify the girl publicly.

The girl is the 15th person to die in open-water related incidents in the last eight days as temperatures soar to record highs in the heatwave

In South Yorkshire, police continued their search for an 11-year-old boy who went missing in the River Don on Saturday and has not been seen since.

Officers were called to the scene at Ferry Boat Lane in Mexborough at around 8pm, accompanied by emergency crews from the National Police Air Service, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Services.

The boy has not yet been found and his family have been informed and are being supported by officers.

One of the boy’s friends is believed to have raised the alarm after he went into the water.

A sandbank on the river remained cordoned off on Sunday along with part of the Mexborough Canal.

In a statement made this morning, the force said: ‘We understand people are desperate to help but, for everyone’s safety, we must ask that only those involved in our operation join the search.’ 

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson issued a statement about the death of the 13-year-old girl: ‘At around 6.30pm on Sunday 31 May 2026, emergency services were called to the River Wharfe near Burnsall in the Skipton area after a 13-year-old girl was reported missing in the river.

‘A short time later she was rescued from the water and taken to hospital by air ambulance.

‘Despite the efforts of members of the public at the scene and medical staff at the scene and in hospital, she sadly died.

‘At this stage we are not in a position to release her identity.

‘Our thoughts remain with her family at this very distressing time and we ask members of the public and the media to respect the family’s privacy and allow them to grieve in peace.

‘Our thanks go to the members of the public who helped at the scene.’

The tragic death comes as concerns over water safety spiked after several drownings during last week’s bank holiday heatwave.

At least 15 people have now died in open water incidents in the last eight days in the UK – many in rivers, lakes and the sea to cool off from the record-breaking heat.

Chiedza Nyanjowa, 15, died the day before the girl drowned in the River Wharfe after ‘getting into difficulties’ on Merseyside’s Formby beach last Monday.

Medics were called at around 3.30pm that day and Chiedza was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where she died on Saturday.

Officers announced this weekend that a 19-year-old man who was pulled from a lake in Nottinghamshire last Thursday had died, while the body of a man in his 40s was found in a river in the Norfolk Broads.

Emergency services were called to Balderton Lake in New Balderton, Nottinghamshire, on Thursday at about 2.35pm following reports of a teenager seen getting into difficulty in the water.

The 19-year-old, who had been at the lake with friends, was recovered and treated at the scene before being taken to hospital.

But on Saturday, Nottinghamshire Police confirmed the teenager had not survived.

Officers said his family had been informed and were being supported, adding there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances. A report will now be prepared for the coroner.

Clive Collings, Chief Inspector for Newark, said: ‘This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are solely with this young man’s family.

‘We recognise this will be very upsetting for the local community and we encourage people to access support if they need it.

‘During hot weather we know people want to keep cool but open waters are exceptionally dangerous as there is no way of telling what’s beneath the surface.’

Last Friday, Police Scotland named a 16-year-old who died after getting into difficulty in the water in Stirlingshire as Charlie Noble.

And last Wednesday, the body of 14-year-old Baltazar L’Qui was found in the River Thames while another teenage boy was found in a pond in Swanscombe, Kent.

The same day, a missing teenage boy’s body was found in a lake near Blackwater in Hampshire after he went missing while swimming.

Last Tuesday, two boys were found dead, including 17-year-old David Junior-Tita from Crewe, who died at Pickmere Lake in Cheshire.

Junior Slater, 12, also died after getting into difficulty in the River Ribble in Lancashire.

That day police also recovered the body of a drowned 16-year-old boy from Sheffield who died in a Rotherham lake after going missing while swimming.

Muhammad Secka, who had drowned the previous day, was described as a ‘lovely, kind boy’ who dreamed of becoming a doctor.

There were four more deaths on Monday as temperatures reached 34.8C at Kew Gardens and broke the record for the hottest-ever May day.

Among them were 13-year-old Reco Puttock, who was pronounced dead after being found in Leadbeater Dam in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

The same day 16-year-old Lillianna Tomlinson was found dead at Warwickshire’s Kingsbury Water Park.

Heroic grandfather Phil Crow, 68, also died after suffering a cardiac arrest when he ran out to the sea trying to rescue his wife and granddaughter when they got into difficulty at Tregirls Beach in Padstow, Cornwall.

On Sunday, an unnamed 72-year-old woman died off West Angle Beach in Pembrokeshire. In Lincoln that day 15-year-old Declan Sawyer also died after getting into difficulty at Swanholme Lakes.

Chiedza Nyanjowa, 15, died the day before the girl in the River Wharf

Muhammad Secka, 16, drowned while swimming in open water during the heatwave 

Junior Slater, 12, and Declan Sawyer, 15, both died while swimming in open water during this month’s heatwave

Temperatures have since dropped towards the average for the time of year following the heatwave.

Forecasters said the first day of June would feel ‘more like spring or autumn’, with thunderstorms and cooler temperatures expected.

Tuesday was the hottest May day on record for both England and Wales, with 35.1C measured at Kew Gardens and 32.9C at Cardiff Bute Park.

Met Office meteorologist Rebecca Mitchell, said the heatwave was ‘over’.

She added: ‘Ironically, it’s the first week of meteorological summer starting (on Monday), but it will be feeling much more like spring or autumn and a big contrast to the heatwave.’

Of this week’s weather, she said there was a ‘big change on the way’, including rain, possible thunderstorms and strengthening winds.

‘The other part of the story is the temperatures will be much lower compared to the week just gone,’ she said.

‘They’ll be around average for the time of year, which typically is around 17 to 19 degrees in the north and around 18 to 21 degrees in the south, so about 14 degrees lower in some places compared to the previous week.’