Monday, June 7, 2010

Last weekend, an eight-year-old boy died after falling into the River Wharfe in North Yorkshire, England. The river is known for its depth and strong undercurrent. The accident took place on Aaron Page’s birthday, following celebrations with over twenty family members.

Page made his way to the river near Skipton around 3pm BST (1400 UTC) on Saturday; his brother, aged thirteen, was the first to call for assistance after spotting Aaron in the water. Emergency services subsequently assisted in searching for Aaron; the body was recovered at approximately 6:25 pm the same day. Members of the ambulance service failed to resuscitate him, pronouncing him dead at the scene.

“This was a happy family day out to celebrate a birthday at a local beauty spot […] and unfortunately this young boy has got into difficulty in an area of water,” stated Inspector Kevin Franks of North Yorkshire Police. “Despite efforts from members of the public and some quite sterling efforts from the emergency services and everyone else there, sadly we’ve been unable to bring him out alive.”

Inspector Mike Woodhall of Harrogate police cautioned; “[n]o matter how safe a river seems sometimes there are inherent dangers.”