Body found in search for 11-year-old boy missing in South Yorkshire river

A body has been discovered in the River Don during the search for 11-year-old Mackenzie Swift, who disappeared on Saturday evening in Mexborough, South Yorkshire. Police confirmed the find on Tuesday morning, stating that formal identification has not yet taken place but Mackenzie's family has been notified and is receiving specialist support.

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First and foremost, on behalf of all who have been involved in the operation to find Mackenzie since Saturday, I send deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare and I know the impact this news will have on the wider community and particularly Mackenzie’s school.

Mackenzie entered the river around 8 PM on Saturday and did not resurface, prompting an extensive search operation. The South Yorkshire Police, alongside the fire and rescue service, Woodhead mountain rescue, and an underwater search team, worked to locate the missing boy.

Ch Supt Pete Thorp expressed the force's deepest sympathies to Mackenzie's family and friends, acknowledging the profound impact of the loss. He also extended gratitude to the local community for their cooperation, which allowed the search and recovery to proceed with minimal disruption, ensuring dignity for Mackenzie and his family. Offers of public assistance were also appreciated.

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I would also like to thank the local community, who enabled us to conduct our search and recovery with very few onlookers and cameras to give Mackenzie and his family the dignity they deserve. Not only for that but also for the offers of assistance – we knew we had many members of the public willing to do anything they could to help.

This tragic incident occurs amidst a spate of water-related deaths in the UK during a recent hot spell, with at least 15 fatalities reported. Water safety experts have reiterated warnings about the dangers of open-water swimming, particularly the risk of cold water shock, even in warm air temperatures. Locals have noted that the section of the river where Mackenzie went missing is known to be dangerous.

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Unfortunately, this is something we see every year. It’s a known problem when the air temperature increases rapidly but the water is still very cold. At this time of year, it hasn’t had time to warm up.