The death of Alfie McCraw has prompted emergency services to issue a warning about open water swimming as temperatures continue to soar. Alfie, from Wakefield, was found on the Aire and Calder Navigation on Monday afternoon after emergency services received a report of a teenager lost in the water. Police, ambulance and fire services rushed to the scene and his body was recovered after an investigation. The teenager had just finished his GCSEs and emergency services will now speak to local schools to warn pupils about the dangers of swimming in open water during the heat. Local reports said Alfie was a student at Outwood Grange Academy and is survived by one brother, one sister, mother Jo and father Paul. Emergency patients at the scene of Alfie’s death on Monday (Ben Lack / YappApp) His cousin Zoe Jones spoke to Yorkshire Live about the incident. “He was only 16 and had his whole life ahead of him, which was cut short by a tragic accident,” she said. Ms Jones has launched a fundraiser to give him “the best send off”. He has set up a Go Fund Me page and aims to raise £3,500. He said: “Joe and Paul have enough to worry about without worrying about finding funds for the funeral, so I’m hoping if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated by all of us. No parents should plan to bury their children, let’s raise what we can to thank you.” Police said they were working with the Canal & River Trust to advise schools about the dangers of open sea swimming. The Aire and Calder Navigation (pictured) crosses West Yorkshire (Richard Avery) Superintendent Nick Smart of West Yorkshire Police said the incident was tragic and warned against swimming in unauthorized bodies of open water. He said: “The weather is forecast to get even warmer over the weekend and into next week, but we would urge people not to be tempted to cool off in open water unless it is a supervised swimming area. “Even in the summer months, the open water can be very cold. “Anyone who suddenly enters cold water is prone to hyperventilation, which can lead to seizures. Tributes have been paid to the boy from Wakefield, West Yorkshire (Getty) “There may also be hidden currents and unseen hazards such as mud banks or underwater objects that a swimmer can get caught in.” District Station Commander Jimmy Fitt, of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, joined in warning against open water swimming. He said: “Our advice is not to go into any unsupervised areas of water – as the drag of the water, the shock of cold water and hidden dangers can mean even strong swimmers struggle. “We need people of all ages to be aware of the risks – we know that when it’s hot it’s tempting to get in the water, but you must only do so in safe designated areas or the consequences can be fatal.”
