Nine people have died in open water incidents across the United Kingdom amid a record-breaking heatwave, prompting safety warnings from multiple organizations. The recent fatalities have largely involved children and teenagers who got into trouble while swimming or playing in rivers, lakes, and coastal areas.

The latest incident occurred on Tuesday at Pickmere Lake in Marston, Northwich, Cheshire, where the body of a 17-year-old boy was recovered after he went missing. Earlier in the week, 12-year-old Junior Slater died after encountering difficulties in the River Ribble, according to Lancashire Police.

Other fatalities include 15-year-old Declan Sawyer, who died at Swanholme Lakes in Lincoln on Sunday. The same day, a 72-year-old woman was pulled from the water at West Angle Bay beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and later died. On Monday, a 13-year-old boy, identified as Reco Puttock, died at Leadbeater Dam near Halifax, West Yorkshire, while a teenage girl’s body was found at Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire. Additionally, a man in his 60s died of cardiac arrest at Tregirls Beach in Padstow, Cornwall, after entering the sea to assist two family members in distress, according to Devon and Cornwall Police.

The Royal Life Saving Society has issued a public plea urging people to “stop and think” before entering open water. The organization noted that warmer weather tends to coincide with an increase in accidental drownings, cautioning that despite high air temperatures, water remains dangerously cold. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) also warned of the “very real risk” posed by swimming in open water during the current heatwave.

This warning comes in the wake of the hottest day on record for May in England and Wales, according to the Met Office. Kew Gardens in London recorded a provisional high of 35.1 degrees Celsius, while Cardiff Bute Park reached 32.9 degrees Celsius.

Deaths related to open water incidents have been reported in several regions over the past days, including South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Pembrokeshire, Lincolnshire, and Lancashire. Authorities and safety organizations continue to remind the public to exercise caution around rivers, lakes, and coastal areas during the ongoing heatwave.