Two-year-old boy dies after being pulled from canal in Wolverhampton
A two-year-old boy has died after being pulled from a canal in Wolverhampton on Sunday, police have said.
They were called to Hendon Avenue in Ettingshall last night at 5.30pm and found the boy in water near to the canal towpath.
West Midlands Police said officers entered the water to pull him out and perform CPR until paramedics arrived and took him to hospital, while West Midlands Ambulance Service said he was confirmed dead at the scene.
The ambulance service was called at 6.01pm, a spokeswoman said.
"On arrival, crews found a boy, who had been pulled from the water by police colleagues, in a critical condition," she added.
"He was receiving basic life support by officers and ambulance staff immediately took over to administer advanced life support.
"Sadly, despite everyone's best efforts, the child could not be saved and he was confirmed dead at the scene."
West Midlands Police added: "We do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances and have referred his death to the coroner. We are supporting the family at this devastating time.
"We will have local officers in the area today to offer reassurance and support to our communities."
Read more:
Boy, 8, dies after falling into river
Teenager found in reservoir named
The circumstances around the incident are unclear, but more people may head to open water as forecasters predict warm weather on Monday and Tuesday.
Ahead of a sunny spell last month, swimmers were warned of the dangers of open water.
Sam Hughes, water safety manager at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said: "With the weather looking unsettled, we're still expecting people during the school summer holidays to head to coastal locations.
"We're reminding people to head for a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags.
"If you do find yourself in difficulty, remember float to live: tilt your head back with ears submerged and try to relax and control your breathing.
"Use your hands to help you stay afloat and then, once you are through the initial shock, call for help or swim to safety if you can."
According to the National Water Safety Forum - a network of volunteer groups promoting safety in open water - there were 236 water-related deaths in the UK in 2023.