Villagers have described their shock after a second death in a river which has become a magnet for teenagers.
A girl of 15, who hasn't been named, died after 'getting into difficulty' in the River Etherow in the village of Broadbottom near Hyde in Tameside on Wednesday evening.
In July 2016, another teenager, Jack Pullen, 16, from nearby Hattersley, died after getting into trouble in the same stretch of water known as Broadbottom Rocks.
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Today (Thursday) there were no signs of last night's drama at the beauty spot, which residents say is a magnet for teenagers in hot weather and holidays.
The alarm was raised at about 7.50pm when the emergency services received reports that someone was 'getting into difficulty' in the water, Greater Manchester Police confirmed.
Residents described how the police, paramedics and fire crews focussed their search on a stretch of the river close to Hodge Lane.
Despite the search, GMP confirmed: "A 15-year-old female was retrieved from the water and sadly died despite the best efforts of the medical team."
An investigation is underway but detectives say they are 'confident' there are no suspicious circumstances.
One resident who lives close to the river, who declined to be named, said: "It's no more dangerous than any other river. When it's flooding, it's really dangerous. Last night it wasn't like that. It's very strange. It shows that even when it's calm it can be a problem."
The resident described how, earlier in the day, the village had held its annual duck race in the river. "They drop the ducks in off the bridge and then they go to Weir Cottage to see who's won the race," she said.
Another resident said: "It's high jinks. They're not here every day but the kids come here when its hot or its the holidays. It's just so sad especially as someone else died here seven years ago.
"There are signs up but it doesn't seem to stop people coming down here. It's more dangerous than they realise."
Another villager said: "The water looks nice when it's like this but they don't know what's underneath. It's a shock. All the emergency services were down towards the river."
A fire service banner strapped to a railing close to the river shows a picture of Jack Pullen, with the words: "In loving memory of Jack Pullen."
It shows the date he died and adds: "Forever loved and always missed."
The message ends: "We urge you not to swim in open water."
Another fire service banner further up-river is more stark, asking 'dying for a dip?'. It adds: "Every year people drown in open water around Greater Manchester. Don't risk it. Be safe around water."
The inquest into the death of Jack Pullen heard his friends jumped in to try to save him, but couldn’t stop him disappearing downstream as he screamed for help.
Jack’s mum Emma Jordan said he had ‘always been scared of water’. She said he was a weak swimmer and often tried to avoid swimming lessons at school.
Ms Jordan told the hearing she had tried to stop Jack from visiting Broadbottom Rocks in the past because she was concerned about him going in the water. The court heard Jack had been to the Etherow before, but not Broadbottom Rocks.
Concluding that Jack’s death was the result of an accident, Coroner Joanne Kearsley said: "The water looked placid and calm, and I’m sure, tempting to a lot of young people."
She added: "If Jack’s death serves any purpose, I hope it is to make young people aware of the dangers of water on days like this.
"The risks cannot be foreseen. If Jack’s death can do anything, I hope it can highlight those concerns and those dangers."
Following yesterday's death, Detective Superintendent Rebecca Boyce, of GMP, said: "Yesterday evening’s events are nothing short of devastating and my deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of the girl who lost her life in such awful circumstances.
"Officers will continue to support the family during this incredibly difficult time."
Coun Jackqueline Owens, who represents the Longdendale ward, said in a post on Facebook: "On behalf of the Longdendale ward Councillors, I would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends and the whole Broadbottom community, following the tragic incident yesterday evening. We are all shocked to hear about this terrible loss.
"Sadly, this is not the first death of a young person in the River Etherow, from our community, in recent years. We would urge all young people wanting to swim, to use public pools; as open water swimming can be very hazardous."
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