19-year-old dies after rescue operation at Salford Quays

A teenager has died following a rescue operation at Salford Quays.

The 19-year-old was reported missing after going into the water shortly after 4.35pm on Sunday 18 July.

Greater Manchester Police said emergency services had located the man at around 7.40pm.

In a tweet it said: "Sadly, despite a rescue operation at Salford Quays this evening, a 19-year-old man has lost his life.

"Our thoughts are with this young man's family and friends, and the people who witnessed the tragic events. We will provide further updates when we have them."

Eye witness Darren Budgeon said the quayside had been busy with "at least 150 people" swimming and enjoying the sunshine when the teen jumped into the water and got into difficulty.

He said: "The young lad jumped in and before you know it his friends were just shouting out, 'help, help'.

"A few were saying they could see him and were jumping in trying to get him and then all of a sudden he was just gone.

"Then before you knew it all of the police and fire brigade was here."

He said people visit the spot regularly when it is hot, and he had never seen anything like this happen before.

He added: "It was a bit shocking really. When I was watching it I was hoping they would pull him out, but when it got beyond half an hour I knew it wasn't going to be good news."

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) says it received the first of "several 999 calls" at 4.35pm "in relation to a person needing to be rescued from water in Salford Quays".

It added it used fire service boats, divers and under water cameras to locate the male.

Paul Duggan, Head of Prevention at GMFRS, says last year 166 people drowned accidentally in open water across England, a 13% on the year before.

He added: "We've all been there. We understand, it's a hot day, the water looks inviting, it looks nice and cool.

"But if you've ever been in the shower if for whatever reason the hot water goes off and you get a shock of cold water the first thing you do it take a deep breath.

"Imagine that when you're on the edge of a lake. You're nice and hot, you want to cool down, you jump in that lake you don't realise the depth, depending on your abilities, yeah that cool water is going to cool you down, but the problem is you inadvertently take a deep breath as you go under the surface.

"If you've not got someone there capable of rescuing you and a bellyful of water, you're already struggling if your swimming skills aren't great anyway, you're in trouble very, very quickly."

The 19-year-old's death comes five years after 16-year-old Jack Pullen died in the River Etherow in Broadbottom, near Hyde.

Since Jack’s death, his uncle Chris Jordan has set up the Jack Pullen Foundation, aimed at educating more people about the dangers of open water.

We spoke to Beckie Ramsay whose 13-year-old son Dylan drowned swimming on a hot day in a quarry in Chorley 10 year ago this month.

She told us she's heartbroken, she didn't know the risks of cold water shock.