Boy, 10, dies in Scottish loch on hottest day of the year

A 10-year-old boy died at a Scottish loch as people took to lakes and beaches on the hottest day of the year.

Police Scotland said they were called to Loch Lubnaig, near Callander in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, to reports of a child experiencing difficulty in the water.

Emergency services raced to the scene just after 5.30pm on Wednesday but the 10-year-old died.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said two appliances and two water rescue units had attended the scene.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “A 10-year-old boy has died following an incident in Loch Lubnaig, near Callander, on Wednesday 24 June 2020.

“Emergency services were called around 5:35pm to reports of a child experiencing difficulty in the water.

“Sadly, the boy died. There are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

Read more: Hand sanitiser left in cars during heatwave may burst into flames, warn rescuers

Temperatures peaked across the country on Wednesday, reaching 32.6C (90.7F) at London’s Heathrow Airport at 2.46pm, making it the hottest day of the year so far, though the mercury was set to get even higher on Thursday.

The public has been reminded to take care around water throughout the summer amid concerns people are tempted to take a dip to cool down.

Thames Valley Police said on Wednesday evening that they had found a body following a search for a missing man at Lulle Brooke in Cookham, Berkshire.

The man, who was in his 30s, was understood to have got into difficulty in the water on Tuesday evening.