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Body found in search for 23-year-old man who went missing after swimming in River Mersey

Haydn Griffiths聽went missing after swimming towards wind turbines off the coast of New Brighton, Wirral, around 10.30pm last Tuesday. The discovery of a body comes as safety campaigners launched a drowning prevention drive to mark World Drowning Prevention Day.

Samuel Osborne

News reporter

Monday 25 July 2022 14:37, UK

Haydn Griffiths is missing after going swimming in the River Mersey
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A body has been found in the search for a 23-year-old man who went missing after going swimming in the River Mersey.

Haydn Griffiths went missing after swimming towards wind turbines off the coast of New Brighton, Wirral, around 10.30pm last Tuesday.

A Merseyside Police spokeswoman confirmed the body of a man had been found on Sunday night.

She said: "At this time the death is being treated as unexplained and a post-mortem examination will take place to establish the cause.

"The body is yet to be formally identified."

An extensive search of the river was launched by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency last week after Mr Griffiths went missing on the day the UK saw record temperatures.

On Friday, police and the Coastguard warned members of the public not to carry out plans for a community search for the swimmer along the shoreline from New Brighton to Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm.

It comes as safety campaigners launched a drowning prevention drive to mark World Drowning Prevention Day.

A total of 50 organisations joined forces as figures showed 277 people have lost their lives in accidents in the water in the UK in the past 12 months, and the World Health Organisation estimates 235,600 people drown every year globally.

Drowning is among the 10 leading causes of death for children.

If you see someone struggling in the water:

Call 999 - ask for Fire & Rescue if inland or the Coastguard if by the sea

Tell the struggling person to try to float on their back

Throw them something that floats - anything, even a football

If you are struggling in the water:

Try to lay on your back

Stick your arms and legs out to enable better floating

Once you have calmed down and got your bearings, shout for help

More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic storage vessels and swimming pools in poorer countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.

The RNLI and Irish Coast Guard have dealt with 1,100 incidents so far this year, according to the latest figures.

In the UK most deaths by drowning occur in the summer months, with July being the worst.

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