Boy, 12, drowns in River Lea at Hackney Marshes

A 12-year-old boy has died after entering the water at Hackney Marshes, in what the mayor of Hackney has described as a devastating loss for the borough.

Emergency services were called at around 6pm on Saturday 15 August, after reports that a boy had gone into the River Lea beside the marshes in E9.

Fire crews from Homerton, Leyton and Leytonstone attended, along with specialist rescue units from Edmonton and Bethnal Green and the London Fire Brigade’s drone team, and searched the river alongside Metropolitan Police officers.

The brigade’s involvement ended at 9.38pm. Police divers recovered the boy at around 12.15am on Sunday 16 August, and he was pronounced dead. He has not been named. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

The mayor of Hackney Zoë Garbett said in a statement issued by the Town Hall: “We were heartbroken to learn about the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy at Hackney Marshes this weekend. All of our thoughts are with the child’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.”

She added: “This is a devastating loss for our community, and I know many will be feeling a deep sense of shock and sadness. The boy’s family will need time to grieve this unimaginable loss, so please respect their privacy.”

Coroner’s inquiry

The Met said the death is being treated as unexpected and that the investigation is being carried out on behalf of the coroner, with enquiries continuing to establish the full circumstances.

Detective inspector Azmeen Pinnu, who is leading the investigation, said: “This is a deeply tragic incident and our thoughts are with the boy’s family, friends and the wider community.”

Pinnu asked the public to avoid speculation and not to circulate distressing material online, both out of respect for the family and to protect the investigation. Garbett made the same request, and thanked the emergency services for their response and for the efforts made through the night.

Heat-health alert

The boy entered the water on the first day of a yellow heat-health alert issued for London by the UK Health Security Agency, in force from 10am on Saturday until 9am on Tuesday 18 August.

Among the impacts the agency listed was that water-related incidents may increase, including risks from cold-water shock and drowning.

The alert followed the fifth heatwave of the summer, which ran from 9 to 15 August and peaked on Thursday 13 August, the fifth hottest day on record in the UK. England and Wales remain in a prolonged dry spell.

Swimming in the Lea is not permitted.

Hackney Council’s own guidance on its parks says the stretch running alongside Hackney Marshes is a valuable wildlife habitat where birds nest along the banks, and warns that the river carries pollution including raw sewage from misconnected plumbing, exposing anyone who enters it to leptospirosis, E coli and gastroenteritis.

Inland waters

Nationally, the Canal & River Trust says 57 per cent of accidental drownings in the UK in 2025 happened at inland sites such as canals, rivers, lakes, quarries and reservoirs, rather than at the coast.

The charity, which urges people to stay out of inland water in hot weather, advises anyone who falls in to float on their back until the initial shock passes before trying to swim or shout for help.

Hackney Marshes lies on the western bank of the Lea, on the boundary between Hackney and Waltham Forest.