A 16-year-old boy has become the 12th person to die in open water amid the record-breaking heatwave in the United Kingdom. The teenager's body was recovered from Bracklinn Falls near the Scottish town of Callander, in Stirling, yesterday evening following calls to police that a swimmer was in difficulty. Police Scotland have identified the boy as Charlie Noble. The force is not treating his death as suspicious.
Paying tribute to his son, Tam Noble changed his profile picture to a photo of Charlie as messages of condolences poured in. Sharee Aitchison said: 'Every parent is crying with you Tam. My heart goes out to you. My doors always open. The best dad you were, Tam.' Danielle Dani wrote: 'Absolutely heartbroken for you Tam. Thoughts are with you and the family, sending lots of love. Charlie was a lovely boy and that was all down to you pal.'
Charlie is the latest person to have died while swimming in open water as temperatures soared to 35C earlier this week. Earlier today, 16-year-old Muhammad Secka was named as the person who had died while swimming in open water at Rother Valley Country Park in Rotherham on Monday. 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 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. Following the week of high temperatures, the weekend will see the heatwave dramatically break with heavy rain forecast.
On Saturday periods of downpours will move into western areas, including heavy and potentially thundery showers to parts of Northern Ireland, while it will be dry in other areas, Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said. And Sunday will be a day of sunshine and showers. Mr Madge said: 'After a lengthy and historic hot spell of days in the UK above 30C, today is very likely to be the first day which breaks that series. We are still expecting above average temperatures for parts of the south and east, and these could be in the high 20s, and temperatures will remain above average for much of the UK. Although some locations may remain in heatwave conditions for a little longer, there is a general cooling trend across the UK as air from the Atlantic will start to dominate bringing a more changeable pattern of periods of rain and brighter interludes into the early part of next week.'
Today there will be some rain into western areas, especially western Scotland. Tomorrow there will be periods of heavier rain moving into western areas especially heavy and potentially thundery showers to parts of Northern Ireland. Still fine and dry for most. Sunday will be a day of sunshine and showers, remaining warm in the south east. Meanwhile, the recent heat meant there was an extra billion litres of water used across London and the South East over the bank holiday weekend compared to the same weekend in 2025, Thames Water said.
