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Tributes to boy, 15, who died in river during heatwave

Facebook Head and shoulders shot of a teenage boy with brown wavy hair, combed forward, and brown eyes. He is staring directly at the camera with his head tilted slightly the left. He is wearing a dark blue jacket, zipped up to the collar, and a white shirt underneath. The boy is standing against a blue wall and two silver helium balloons - a 1 and a 5 - are partially visible in the background. Facebook
Emilis Vanagas only celebrated his 15th birthday last month

The mother of a teenager who died in a Glasgow river on the hottest day of the year has paid tribute to her "forever 15" son.

Emilis Vanagas got into difficulty in the River Kelvin, near Maryhill Road in the West End of the city, at about 18:40 on Saturday.

A rescue operation, which involved a police helicopter, was launched but his body was recovered at 23:30.

His family said Emilis had died just a month after celebrating his 15th birthday.

Daiva Daivute, who is originally from Lithuania, shared a link to a GoFundMe page which has been set up in her son's memory.

Writing on Facebook, she said: "My heart is broken my dear son. Always remember never forgotten. Forever 15."

A river surrounded by trees with a blue sky behind it. There is a little dip in the river where water rushes down the a lower level. Two pipes stick out of the hill.
Police launched a search and rescue operation at the River Kelvin in Glasgow on Friday evening

Ms Daivute's sister-in-law Patrycja Majewska set up the fundraising page to help with the funeral costs and it has so far raised more than £4,500.

She said Emilis had just celebrated his 15th birthday on 13 June and had the "whole of his life ahead of him but sadly lost his life".

Ms Majewska posted: "His parents get tragically (sic) news on Saturday 12 July that they found Emilis in one of the river close to house and unfortunately he was pronounced dead at the scene.

"He lost his life but save two other lives and always will be remembered as a HERO."

Another aunt, Ema Kaftanikaitė, said the family was "heartbroken".

She posted on Facebook: "We lost my beloved nephew Emilis far too soon - he was only 15 years old.

"His life was full of love, laughter, and dreams that will now remain unfulfilled.

"No parent should ever have to bury their child."

Scotland's hottest day

People had flocked to beauty spots on Saturday as temperatures soared across Scotland.

Forecasters said it was the hottest day since June 2023, with the Met Office recording the heat as 32.2C (89.96F) at Aviemore, in the Highlands.

A temperature of 32C (89.6F) has only been recorded on six previous occasions in Scotland since 1961.

Three other people died in separate incidents.

A 63-year-old woman died in a fall near Campsie Glen waterfall in East Dunbartonshire.

In East Lothian the body of a 39-year-old man was found in the River Tyne at Haddington.

And a 50-year-old man who was pulled from the water at Loch Lomond on Saturday died in hospital on Sunday.

Police Scotland said none of the deaths were being treated as suspicious.