Overview
- Emergency services launched a large search after reports a boy was in difficulty at Clifton Country Park around 4:51pm on Saturday; underwater teams, sniffer dogs and fire crews worked for three days before the body was recovered on Monday.
- Greater Manchester Police said the victim has not yet been formally identified, the family are being supported by specialist officers and there are no suspicious circumstances.
- Salford City Council said it is working with police and emergency partners and listed prevention steps including letters to schools, a pupil-led social media campaign, warning signs and local patrols.
- The death was one of three water-related fatalities in the Greater Manchester area that weekend, including a separate 15-year-old at Cowbury Reservoir and a woman found in Bury, prompting renewed safety warnings about unsupervised rivers and reservoirs.
- Clifton Country Park has a history of fatal open-water incidents, including a 14-year-old who died in 2020, and the community response at the footbridge has included floral tributes while authorities consider further measures.