Two die at Norfolk beauty spot

Police have officially named a man and a teenage boy who died whilst swimming in Bawsey Pits in Norfolk earlier this week.

They were 41 year old Ryan Pettengell from King's Lynn and 16 year old Umar Balogun from London.

The pair drowned after getting into difficulties whilst swimming in separate lakes at the former quarry on Tuesday evening.

Inquests into both deaths will be opened by the Coroner in due course.

The owners of Bawsey Pits in Norfolk where two men drowned this week as they cooled off during the heatwave, say they couldn't have done anything to prevent the tragedy.

A 41 year old man, named locally as Ryan Petengell from King's Lynn and a 16 year old boy from London died in separate incidents at the former quarry. Kate Prout reports

A man who drowned while swimming in a Norfolk quarry has been named by friends. Ryan Pettengell, 41, died while swimming in one of the lakes at Bawsey Pits near King's Lynn. In a tragic coincidence, a 16-year-old from Ely in Cambridgeshire died on the same day in a neighbouring lake.

The warnings about the dangers of swimming in lakes and rivers after two people drowned in a disused quarry in Norfolk.

The victims were a 16-year-old boy from London, who'd been living in Ely and a 41-year-old man from King's Lynn. They have yet to be named.

They died in separate incidents at Bawsey Pits near King's Lynn yesterday evening. With the hot weather likely to continue, people are being urged to avoid taking risks near water.

• Swimming at properly-supervised sites, such as beaches, lidos or swimming pools, is best, although RoSPA appreciates that not everyone can get to these locations.

• If you choose to go to an unsupervised site, think through the hazards first and ensure you know what to do if something goes wrong.

• One of the hazards to consider is that water can be a lot colder than you are expecting so be careful if you jump in or go for a swim to cool off.

• Consider wearing a well-fitting wetsuit, which can keep you warm and offer some buoyancy in the water.

• Before you get into the water, consider how you are going to get out again e.g. are there steep banks that might make it difficult to get out?Be honest about your swimming ability.

• Remember that alcohol and swimming never mix.

• Parents and carers: discuss the hazards with your children and remind them that children should never swim alone at unsupervised locations.

Police are warning about swimming in former quarries after the bodies of two men were recovered from water at a beauty spot in Norfolk.

The bodies of a 16 year old boy from London who was living in Ely and a 41 year old man from the King's Lynn area were recovered from Bawsey Pits near King's Lynn yesterday afternoon.

It's prompted the emergency services to warn about the dangers of cooling off in water during the heatwave.

Police have reiterated warnings about the dangers of swimming in open water after teenager and a man died at a beauty spot.

The 16-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man were found dead in separate lakes at Bawsey Pits, Norfolk, last night.

It is believed the man had swum about 50 yards out in one of the flooded quarries towards an island when he was seen disappearing below the water.

In an unrelated incident, the teenager was reported missing at another lake about half a mile (0.8km) away.

After searches were launched at 4.30pm, the body of the man was found at 7.24pm while the teenager was found at 9.25pm.

Both were found entangled in reeds about 6ft (2m) below the surface, Norfolk's Chief Fire Officer, Nigel Williams, said.

Police have confirmed that the bodies of two males discovered yesterday at Bawsey Pits have been identified as a 16 year old boy, originally from the London area but recently living in Ely, Cambridgeshire and a 41 year old man from the King's Lynn area.

Emergency services were called at around 4:30pm following a report of a person getting into difficulties whilst in the water. The bodies of the teenager and the man were recovered from separate lakes by emergency services during the course of the evening.

The body of the man was discovered at 7:24pm, with the teenager’s body found later at 9:25pm.

Enquiries continue into the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

It's believed two people who died at Bawsey Pits near King's Lynn were a 16 year old teenager from London who was living in Ely and a 40 year old man from King's Lynn.

The emergency services are due to hold a press conference in the next half an hour. We'll bring you more details as we get them.