Castleford: Teenager's body recovered from River Calder

A body, believed to be that of a 16-year-old boy, has been recovered from the River Calder in Castleford.

Police said they received reports of a concern for safety for a male in the water off Leeds Road at 18:58 BST on Wednesday.

West Yorkshire Police said the body was recovered by the emergency services just before 20:30.

The force said the boy's family were aware and were being supported by officers.

Anyone who may have witnessed what happened has been asked to contact police.

Balloons and flowers have been attached to a depth marker next to the river.

Mandy Dowsett, co-owner of Methley Bridge Chandlery boatyard, said there had been a huge emergency response and she had offered her services with the rescue effort.

"It was all cordoned. They had people in boats, the drone up, they were everywhere," she said.

"We asked if there was anything we could do with our boats, but because we have the propellers they said no as it was too dangerous."

"We want people to enjoy open water, but critically they need to know about the risk," said Chris Bell, of West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.

"People can suffer from cold water shock, there could be debris in the water or underwater risks they can't see if it's murky, there's also the biological risks of the water."

He added: "If it doesn't look safe or you've not anticipated the risks of the place, don't go in - do it safely with an affiliated group."

The service is supporting a national safety campaign called Be Water Aware to encourage people to spend time in and around water safely.

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