Teenage Boy Goes Missing Swimming In River

A search is under way for a teenager who has gone missing while swimming in a stretch of the River Avon between Bristol and Bath.

Emergency services were called to behind the Jolly Sailor pub in Saltford at around 5.40pm after the 14-year-old disappeared under the water and failed to come back up.

A great Western Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: "We got the call at 5.40 this eening to say that a young male had been swimming in the river near Saltford and had gone under the water and not come back up.

"We sent an ambulance, a paramedic in a rapid response vehicle and also our hazardous area response team, who have had extra training and can do water rescues alongside the fire service, and we also had the Great Western air ambulance on standby to go to the incident."

A spokesman for Avon Fire and Rescue said they were called to the scene after reports of a boy in difficulty in the river.

"Searches are still going on, the fire service is still here, the police are still here and ambulance are still here, as well as Avon and Somerset search and rescue," he said.

"At the moment the police underwater search unit, the dive team, have turned up to help as the search goes on.

"We attended with crews predominately from Bath and Brislington.

"They attended along with police and ambulance after reports of a 14-year-old boy in difficulty in the river.

"The expectation is the search will carry on as long as it needs to, it will go on into the night."