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Police and search and rescue teams on Rudyard Lake near Leek, Staffordshire
Police and search and rescue teams on Rudyard Lake on Sunday. Photograph: Tom Maddick/SWNS
Police and search and rescue teams on Rudyard Lake on Sunday. Photograph: Tom Maddick/SWNS

Body of missing boy, 17, found by police in Staffordshire lake

This article is more than 4 months old

Officers were called to reservoir north-west of Leek after three boys were seen in the water, two of whom were taken to hospital

The body of a missing 17-year-old boy has been recovered from a lake in Staffordshire by police.

Staffordshire police were called to Rudyard Lake, a reservoir north-west of Leek, shortly after 9.30pm on Saturday after three teenage boys were seen in the water.

Two of them were able to get out of the lake and were taken to hospital after being assessed by paramedics from West Midlands ambulance service, police said.

Specialist search teams attempted to find the third teenager, with assistance from Staffordshire fire and rescue service. Police recovered the boy’s body shortly after 5pm on Sunday and said they were not treating his death as suspicious.

They added that they had deployed specialist officers to support the boy’s family.

Ch Insp Mark Barlow from the Moorlands local policing team said: “Our thoughts and condolences are very much with the boy’s family at this distressing time.

“A large number of officers and emergency service personnel have been working around the clock and through the night since this was first reported to us.

“I’d like to thank the members of the public who respected the cordon and avoided the area while we worked at the scene.

“This is a tragic case and one which I know will cause a great deal of sorrow in the local community. Our priority now is about making sure we can do everything possible to support the boy’s family.”

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