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River search teams recover body of teenage boy

Laura Devlin
BBC News, Suffolk
Luke Deal
BBC News, Suffolk
Reporting fromBeccles
Shaun Whitmore/BBC Drone image of the A146 bridge over the River Waveney in Beccles, showing cars on bridge, moored boats on river and surrounding green space and housingShaun Whitmore/BBC
The incident happened near the A146 bridge over the River Waveney

Search teams have recovered the body of a boy from a river, police said.

Concerns were raised after the teenager failed to resurface after entering the River Waveney with friends in Beccles, Suffolk.

Police were called to Beccles Quay, off Fen Lane, just before 19:30 BST on Wednesday.

A Suffolk Police spokeswoman said: "Searches were conducted and sadly the body of a teenage boy has now been located and recovered from the water."

Luke Deal/BBC A blue canal boat with a white roof moored in the water is in the foreground. A line of other white and blue boats are in the background. A grey bridge runs over the water, which is lined by a grass verge.Luke Deal/BBC
People often swim in the River Waveney during hot weather

The boy, a year nine pupil at Sir John Leman School in Beccles, had disappeared under the water.

Police, firefighters, ambulance crews and an air ambulance were called to the scene, along with the coastguard.

Suffolk Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

Shaun Whitmore/BBC A sign, roughly A4 sized, which reads Accident Blackspot risk of death or serious injury do not jump in the river, in an emergency at the coast call 999 CoastguardShaun Whitmore/BBC
An HM Coastguard sign on the bridge support warns of a risk of death or serious injury

Several school pupils gathered at the riverbank on Thursday morning to reflect.

In an email to parents, Sir John Leman School head teacher Sarah Hartshorn said counsellors would be on hand to offer specialist support.

"When we gather together, we will be holding in our hearts the wonderful young man we have lost and his family," she added.

"This news has come as a profound shock to our whole school community, and our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with the family at this incredibly difficult time."

Rev Dimitri Theulings said the parish extended its heartfelt condolences to the boy's family and friends, and "all those in our community impacted by this terrible loss".

Shaun Whitmore/BBC Barry Darch, wearing a pale blue shirt and navy tie, stands on the banks of a river with moored boats in the blurred background. He has grey hair and beard and glasses. Shaun Whitmore/BBC
Beccles mayor Barry Darch said the boy's family and friends would be in the community's thoughts

St Michael's Church would be open on Thursday afternoon to offer a space for support, reflection or prayer for anyone affected, he added.

Barry Darch, the mayor of Beccles, said the incident was "truly devastating".

"In this sort of situation it's very difficult to know what to say but I'm sure the whole community of Beccles is thinking about them, and remembering them in their prayers," he said.

"The community will try to pull together and provide whatever support it can."

Luke Deal/BBC A man with a bald head, light brown beard and dark glasses and wearing a black t-shirtLuke Deal/BBC
Liam Gentry was at his sailing clubhouse when the alarm was raised

Liam Gentry was first on the scene and dived in to the water to try and help the boy.

Mr Gentry had run over from a nearby sailing club to help and said he saw two girls in hysterics, near the bridge where the A146 crosses the river.

"They told me where he had gone into the water and I dived in to try to find him and retrieve him; unfortunately that just did not happen," he said.

"It may look idyllic, but this is a dangerous place."

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