Police have found a body in the search for a 14-year-old boy who went missing while swimming in a lake on Monday.
The teenager is the first person to have drowned in the current heatwave with temperatures set to soar to a blistering 36C this week and a heat health alert for every region of England.
A huge search was launched for the boy who was bathing at North Met Lake and disappeared under the water.
The tragedy has sparked further warnings about the dangers of open water swimming after at least six teenage boys died in water related incidents in the hot weather last month.
Formal identification is yet to take place, however the boy’s next of kin have been informed.
Police, fire crews and paramedics scrambled to the area in Cheshunt just before 5pm on Monday.
Officers confirmed that a body was found approximately six hours later.
A Herts Police spokesperson said: "Emergency Services carried out searches of the area, including the use of the police helicopter and specialist police divers.
"At just before 11pm last night a body was recovered. Formal identification is yet to take place, however the boy’s next of kin have been informed."
The youngster is one of at least seven teenage boys thought to have drowned during the hot weather this summer.
Several adults have also tragically lost their lives while swimming during heatwaves.
Another 14-year-old boy went missing and is believed to have drowned after swimming in the River Thames on July 18.
That same day, the body of a 16-year-old boy was pulled from Bray Lake near Maidenhead and an unidentified body was found in the River Irwell in Bury.
The previous weekend, four people died from water-related incidents during the hot weather.
A 16-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty while swimming in Salford Quays in Greater Manchester on Saturday, July 16.
The following day, a 51-year-old at the River Spey in Scotland, a 13-year-old at the River Tyne near Ovingham and a man falling overboard in Cromane Bay, Northern Ireland.
Last week, a further two 16 year-old boys died while swimming in a West Yorkshire canal and an abandoned quarry in Wigan.
The recent tragedies have sparked an urgent warning from the Royal Life Saving Society about the dangers of open water swimming.
Charity director Lee Heard said: "Every year during the summer we see a sharp rise in the number of accidental drownings in the UK as many people look to cool off on hot summer days like we are experiencing currently.
"I deeply regret to say we have already seen a number of drownings already in the past few weeks as the temperatures have soared.
“It is vital to ensure that everyone has an understanding of water safety and makes it their responsibility to educate their family and friends on how water can be enjoyed safely to prevent such tragedies".
