Family devastated after boy, 13, drowns in river rescue attempt

A schoolboy who drowned trying to save his friend who had fallen into a river was a "much loved" boy who was a "best friend to many", his devastated family said yesterday.

Declan Shanley, 13, jumped into the River Kelvin in Glasgow to try to pull his friend out of the deeper water.

But he got caught in a current and was swept away from the bank at about 6.30pm on Saturday.

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He was pulled from the water nearly two hours later and was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

In a statement left on the online tribute site Gone Too Soon, the family wrote of Declan's "sudden death by drowning".

"He is at peace now he was ah much loved son, brother, cuzzin, nephew, grandson and also ah best friend too lots of people," (sic) they said.

Police said his family had been left "devastated" by his "tragic" death, and had asked for privacy.

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The schoolboy was with a group of friends playing on the riverbank near the West of Scotland Science Park.

One of them fell into the water, and Declan and another boy jumped in the river to try to save him. The other two boys managed to scramble to the shore and call emergency services, while Declan was swept away.

They were left "extremely upset" by what had happened, police said.

The teenager was a "popular" pupil at John Paul Academy in Glasgow. The school's headteacher, Mr Vincent Docherty said he was "full of life".

He said: "I know everyone at the school will be shocked and saddened by this tragic news.

A Strathclyde police spokesman said Declan was a "brave wee boy" whose young death was "tragic".

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