Teenager hospitalised after getting into difficulty in River Eden on warmest day of year

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A 13-year-old boy is critically ill in hospital after getting into difficulty in a river on Britain’s warmest winter day on record.

Police were called to the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, at about 5.15pm on Tuesday before firefighters pulled the teenager from the water.

The boy was in a critical but stable condition in Freeman hospital in Newcastle on Wednesday after being transported from the scene by air ambulance.

The incident prompted police to warn members of the public not to be tempted to swim in extremely cold open water despite the unusually warm weather.

Britain had its hottest winter day on record on Tuesday, with a temperature of 21.2C (69.4F) in Kew Gardens, south-west London.

Cumbria police said: “Police would like to remind the public that, regardless of the warm weather for February, temperatures in rivers and open water can remain extremely cold.

“Those who are not experienced in such conditions and do not have professional swimming attire for the conditions should not enter the water.”

The teenager’s family are being supported by specialist officers, said police. An investigation into the circumstances of the incident was continuing.