Police officers praised for rescuing missing 10 year-old boy from Crosby lake

Two Merseyside police officers have been praised for rescuing a missing 10 year-old boy from a lake in Crosby.

The boy, who is from Ormskirk, had been at Crosby marina with his mum, 11 year-old brother and eight year-old sister, yesterday afternoon, Thursday 13^th August.

He had gone to get changed out of his swimwear in the sand dunes after spending time playing in the lake when he went missing. His family searched the surrounding area before contacting police.

An extensive search involving Merseyside Police, the Coastguard and the Port Police was carried out around Crosby beach, the marine lake and surrounding areas over a 90 minute period.

The boy, who has complex needs, was eventually spotted in the middle of the marine lake.

Constable John Liauw-Jen-Choy, and Constable Rebecca Morgan-Richardson who were on plainclothes patrol in the area, entered the water fully-clothed when they realised the boy was in trouble and were able to rescue him.

The boy, who is not being named, was then reunited with his family.

His mum said: “We had been told to wait by our car while the police searched for him. They kept ringing to say they had had sightings of him then we heard the news he had headed back to the lake and had been spotted in the middle of the water.

“It was a massive relief when we were told they had him. He doesn’t know the area and has no concept of how far away from home we were. The longer it went on the more worried I had become. He isn’t a strong swimmer. He was a bit upset afterwards but is absolutely fine now.

“The officers were very reassuring and everyone was very kind.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Constable John Liauw-Jen-Choy who has four year’s service and Constable Rebecca Morgan-Richardson, who has been with the force for 19 months, are targeted officers based at Marsh Lane in Bootle.

Sefton Inspector Dave Uren said: “It was credit to John and Rebecca that as soon as they realised what the problem was they went straight into the water to get to the boy and bring him to safety.

“I am delighted that my officers were able to help in this situation and that it had a happy ending.”

Simon Pendlebury, development manager at Crosby Lakeside Adventure centre said: “Although picturesque Crosby Marine lake should not be used for bathing due to the potential dangers. The adventure centre offers a number of safe and family fun ways to enjoy the water all under the supervision of experienced and fully trained individuals.”

HOW TO KEEP YOU AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE - WATER SAFETY ADVICE FROM THE ROYAL LIFE SAVING SOCIETY UK

Drowning accidents are especially high in the summer months and over the last few years, we have heard of too many tragedies that could have been avoided.

Every year people drown both at home and on holiday because they don’t take simple precautions, but we still want everyone to have fun and enjoy the water safely.

So, here’s our tips to being water safe

• Look out for lifeguards - If you’re looking for a place to cool off always find a lifeguarded swimming site.
• It’s colder than it looks - open water and inland sites is often much colder than it looks, cold water can affect your ability to swim and self-rescue.
• Don’t go too far - Always swim parallel to the shore, that way you’re never too far away from it.
• It’s stronger than it looks - Currents in the water can be very strong. If you find yourself caught in a riptide – don’t swim against it – you’ll tire yourself out. Swim with the current and call for help.
• Bring a friend - Always bring a friend - when you go swimming so if anything goes wrong you’ve got someone there to help.

For more information on water safety visit https://www.rlss.org.uk/