Girl dies after getting into difficulty in the water following village duck race

14 June 2023 , 21:36

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Emergency services at the scene in Broadbottom

A 15-year-old girl has died after getting into difficulty in the water after a village's annual duck race.

Images showed a number of fire and police vehicles at the scene in Greater Manchester with onlookers claiming that the person in the water was a child.

Police said they were called to Broadbottom, Hyde, following reports that someone had fallen in the water.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service sent a water incident response unit and a technical response unit.

Local eyewitnesses said the person in the water was a child.

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In an update early on Thursday morning police said that the teenage girl had sadly died.

Officers said: "A teenage girl has sadly died following a search in water near Hodge Lane, Broadbottom.

"Enquiries are ongoing but detectives from Tameside CID are confident there aren’t any suspicious circumstances.

"Officers are supporting the family during this incredibly difficult time."

Previously the fire service said: “At approximately 7.50pm this evening firefighters were called to assist Greater Manchester Police at an incident on Hodge Lane.

"Fire engines from Ashton Under Lyne, Stalybridge and Hyde stations along with the Water Incident Unit, and Technical Response Unit responded quickly and attended the scene. Firefighters remain at the scene at this time.”

An earlier statement from the police read: "Greater Manchester Police were called around 7:50pm tonight (14/06/2023) to a report of a person getting into difficulty in water off Hodge Lane, in Broadbottom.

"Emergency services and specialist search teams are at the scene. The incident is ongoing."

Local residents have also reportedly said that youngsters regularly go into the water near the River Etherow, to a point off Hodge Lane in hot weather but it is unclear what the case was here.

The incident is said to have happened hours after a village duck race had ended.

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James Holt