Urgent search for boy, 16, missing after going swimming in London park lake

A teenage boy has gone missing after ‘getting into difficulty’ while swimming in a lake in a popular London park.

Emergency services were called to Beckenham Place Park, Lewisham, southeast London, shortly after 3pm on Friday.

The boy’s next of kin have been informed.

A police spokesperson told Metro: ‘Police were called at 3.08pm to Beckenham Place park.

‘A 16-year-old boy is believed to have got into difficulty in the water and is now missing.

‘Emergency services are currently co-ordinating a search.

‘The next of kin has been informed and are currently being supported by specialist officers.

‘The park has been evacuated to facilitate the search.’

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson told Metro: ‘We have been called to reports of one person in the water at Beckenham Place Park lake in Beckenham.

‘Five fire engines and around 35 firefighters are in attendance. Crews from Woodside, Lewisham, Beckenham, Croydon and Euston fire stations are at the scene. 

‘The Brigade’s 999 Control officers were called at 3.14pm and are still in attendance.’

This is the second case of a child going missing in water in the capital in the space of a week.

Kaliyah Coa, aged 11, is still missing after slipping and falling into the River Thames on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile a body has been pulled from the water at Crown Lakes near Peterborough after a teenager went missing while swimming on Wednesday.

Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.