Pictured: Schoolboy, 14, who drowned in a canal after jumping into the water while out for Easter bank holiday weekend
- George Lund jumped into the River Aire in Hunslet, Leeds on Saturday afternoon
- His heartbroken mother says: ‘I love and miss you so much my gorgeous baby’
A 14-year-old boy has drowned in a canal after jumping into the water while out for the Easter bank holiday weekend.
Schoolboy George Lund, 14, plunged into the River Aire in Leeds near to George Mann Road in Hunslet, Yorkshire, on Saturday at around 4.30pm after walking along the towpath.
Laying flowers next to the canal this morning, his grandmother Sam Buckham explained that George jumped in the water as an Easter prank on the warm Spring afternoon thinking that he would easily be able to get out of the cold water.
She said a barge had recently passed through the lock and a strong current had been created as the lock refilled with water, making it hard for George to swim to safety.
Mrs Buckham added that he had been trying to get to a ladder which led from the water to the raised towpath, but he was beaten by the current.
Schoolboy George Lund, 14, plunged into the River Aire in Leeds near to George Mann Road in Hunslet, Yorkshire, on Saturday
The River Aire in Hunslet, Leeds, Yorkshire where a 14-year-old boy died
‘He briefly came to the surface once and then sank below and his girlfriend called for help,’ she said.
George’s heartbroken mother Stacie Lund said: ‘I love and miss you so much my gorgeous baby boy. I just need you back.’
His aunt, Samantha Lowe, also described George’s death as ‘traumatic and heartbreaking’.
She stated: ‘As many of you know my nephew George tragically died. Stood watching the water specialists, paramedics and firefighters trying to find him under the water, hoping that he’d still be alive when they found him but sadly he wasn’t.
‘Having to see my mum and my sister breakdown, literally dropping to the floor with the heartache! It was awful they shouldn’t have to be doing this.
‘He was only 14, found his first love and everything! Every time I went to my mum’s he would show me his school books and how well he was doing bless him. He had his life ahead of him!
Flowers, cards and a teddy bear have today been left at the scene, close to a rowing club and the city of Leeds sea cadets.
Tributes have been paid to 14-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty in a canal over the Easter weekend
A sign showing the safety procedures next to the canal
People pay their respects leaving flowers at the scene of the incident
Temperatures reached as high as 13C on Saturday afternoon.
West Yorkshire Police said that they received a concern for safety report regarding a male in the canal by Thwaite Lane in Hunslet on Saturday.
He was recovered from the water and received medical attention but was pronounced dead a short time later. His death is not being treated as suspicious.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: ‘At 4:32pm on Saturday, police received a concern for safety report for a male in the canal by Thwaite Lane, Leeds. Emergency services attended and recovered a teenage male from the water.
‘He received medical attention at the scene, but was sadly pronounced deceased a short time later. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file has been prepared for the coroner.’
A danger warning telling people not to swim in the canal
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