A 16-year-old boy who tragically drowned in a lake during the heatwave has been named as Muhammad Secka.
The teenager, from Sheffield, went missing while swimming in open water at Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham on Monday. His body was recovered the next day.
Muhammad was described by those who knew him as a ‘lovely, kind boy’ who cooked meals for his mother and sister and dreamt of becoming a doctor when he grew up.
His death marks the eleventh person to die in the UK during the May heatwave, which saw temperatures reach highs of 35C and brought water shortages to thousands of homes in the south east.
Muhammad’s friend, Kelly Osayi, said the boy was ‘loved by many people’, adding: ‘It is tragic that he died at just the age of 16, which still doesn’t feel real for most of us.
‘Muhammad always used to smile, everyone liked him. When I heard what had happened, I just broke down.’
Neighbour, Sharon Wells, said: ‘He was a lovely kind boy who bought sweets for his younger brother and sister out of his pocket money.
‘Cooked meals for the family. Bought his mother jewellery.
Pictured: Muhammad Secka, 16, who tragically drowned while swimming in open water during the heatwave
Muhammad’s body was recovered from Rother Valley Country Park (pictured) on Tuesday
‘And so clever, he was top of his class, looking forward to going to college and wanted to become a doctor.’
Muhammad’s death follows that of ten others who drowned this month in open water.
On Wednesday, the body of 14-year-old Baltazar L’Qui was found in the River Thames, and the body of another teenage boy was found in Swanscombe, Kent.
The same day, the body of a missing teenage boy was found in a lake near Blackwater in Hampshire, after he went missing whilst swimming.
On Tuesday, two people were found dead – 17-year-old David Junior-Tita from Crewe, who died at Pickmere Lake in Cheshire, and 12-year-old Junior Slater, who died after getting into difficulty in the River Ribble in Lancashire.
Muhammad Secka was also found after being reported missing the previous day.
On Monday, four people died as temperatures reached 34.8C at Kew Gardens and broke the record for the hottest ever May day.
Among those who died were 13-year-old Reco Puttock, who was pronounced dead after being found in Leadbeater Dam in Halifax, West Yorkshire.
The teenagers both died during this month’s heatwave, which has so far claimed the lives of eleven people from drowning in open water
David-Junior Tita, from Crewe, died after getting into difficulty at Pickmere Lake in Cheshire on Tuesday
The same day, the body of 16-year-old Lillianna Tomlinson was found at Warwickshire’s Kingsbury Water Park.
Heroic grandfather Phil Crow, 68, also died after suffering a cardiac arrest when he ran out to the sea trying to rescue his wife and granddaughter after they got into difficulty at Tregirls Beach in Padstow, Cornwall.
On Sunday, an unnamed 72-year-old woman died off West Angle Beach in Pembrokeshire and 15-year-old Declan Sawyer died after getting into difficulty at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln.
Today, police recovered the body of a man from the sea near Brighton.
Officers were called to Rottingdean beach on Friday morning after reports of a body.
Sussex Police said formal identification had not yet taken place and inquiries are ongoing.
Throughout the week, the UK Health Security Agency has issued heat health alerts for parts of England, warning of a greater risk of water-related deaths.
The UKHSA said it means water-related incidents could increase including risks from cold-water shock and drowning.
The body said the warning also brings a greater risk to life to vulnerable people as well as an increased need for healthcare services.
The heatwave has seen record temperatures for the month of May, including a hottest ever daytime record of 35.1C on Wednesday.
The hot spell has led many people to take to local lakes and ponds in a bid to keep cool.
Another swimming victim: Phil Crow, 68, suffered a ‘cardiac arrest in the sea’ while bravely trying to help two relatives who got into difficulty in the water at Tregirls Beach on Monday
Reco Puttock was rushed to hospital after being pulled from Leadbeater Dam in Halifax on Monday
But the Royal Life Saving Society has warned Britons to take extra care following a spate of water-related deaths, noting that ‘warmer weather unfortunately sees an increase in accidental drownings’.
And the emergency services are struggling to cope with increased demand – with London’s ambulance service reporting its busiest day since the pandemic.
Experts say that if people do want to swim they should do so somewhere supervised by lifeguards. They also discourage jumping from heights, and for people to assess their ability to swim before entering the water.
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Pictured: Boy, 14, whose body was found in the River Thames
Entering any water colder than 15C can cause the body to enter cold-water shock, when the blood vessels in the skin close in response to the cold, forcing the heart to work harder.
It can lead to panic, hyperventilation and decreased dexterity – putting sufferers at risk of drowning. Average UK and Ireland sea temperatures are just 12C, according to the RNLI, but inland waters can be much colder.
Anyone who does get into trouble is advised to ‘float to live’ – lying on their back and relaxing to catch their breath if they do struggle when they enter cold water.
The South Western Ambulance Service had its busiest day on record this week, as crews responded to nearly 4,000 incidents across the region.
Ambulance chief executive Dr John Martin said that was a 24 per cent increase on Bank Holiday Monday last May.
He said: ‘We are receiving calls for issues such as sunburn, feeling hot and other non emergency conditions that can often be managed through self care, pharmacies, NHS 111 or other healthcare services.’
The London ambulance service also had its sixth busiest day ever, receiving 8,121 999 calls – the highest level since the peak of the Covid pandemic.
The service urged Londoners to only call 999 in life-threatening emergencies.
NHS England said there were 20,092 visits to its heatstroke advice page on bank holiday Monday, compared with 488 the previous Monday. Over the whole weekend, there were 36,724 visits.
For the rest of the week, however, temperatures are starting to cool off.
The Met Office said: ‘From Friday, temperatures will continue to ease and turn fresher as the hot spell breaks.
‘Most will see a noticeable drop from the hottest conditions of recent days, but still above average for many, with the peaks of 28C increasingly confined to the far southeast.’
