Boy, eight, pulled from canal dies in hospital

Matthew Cartwright fell into the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation in Swinton in the Dearne Valley at around 5.10pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

He was airlifted to hospital in Rotherham by the South Yorkshire Police force helicopter but died on Tuesday at Sheffield Children’s Hospital where he had been transferred for specialist treatment.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said Matthew had died with his family at his bedside.

“A post mortem examination will now be carried out to establish the exact cause of death,” he said.

“Officers do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances concerning this incident, which appears to be a tragic accident.”

Matthew lived in Windhill Terrace, Mexborough.

It is thought that a family member was with him when the tragedy took place on Monday.

Today the family released a statement reading: “We are devastated at the death of Matthew, which was a tragic accident. He was a beautiful, loving little boy and we miss him terribly.”

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said the schoolboy had already been rescued from the water by the time firefighters had arrived on the scene.

The service’s area manager Richard Chandler said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the boy’s family and friends at what is an extremely distressing time.

“Areas such as canals, rivers and lakes present a number of different hazards.

“It is impossible to gauge their temperature, flow or depth, and I would urge people to be mindful of the dangers that open water can bring.”

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said that between 40 and 50 children die from drowning every year in the UK but the number of incidents increases during the school holidays.

He added: “During the school holidays, and in particular in hot weather, increasing numbers of children put themselves at risk of drowning.”