Drowned teen is third person to die in eastern Netherlands river this week

By Janene Pieters on June 23, 2017 - 09:12
A special police team search the Waal river in Tiel with sonar equipment for the body of a 13-year-old boy who disappeared while swimming, 22 Jun 2017
A special police team search the Waal river in Tiel with sonar equipment for the body of a 13-year-old boy who disappeared while swimming, 22 Jun 2017. Photo: @TCRBTDEWAARDEN / Twitter

The body of a 13-year-old boy was pulled from the Waal river in Tiel on Thursday night. He disappeared under water while swimming with friends earlier that afternoon. The boy is the third person to drown in the Waal in five days.

The boy was reported missing in the water around 3:00 p.m., according to Omroep Gelderland. Divers from the fire department immediately launched a search for the boy, aided from the air by a police helicopter, but to no avail. A special team with sonar equipment found the body around 9:00 p.m. 

On Wednesday the body of a man from Andelst was found near Wamel after he was . A 51-year-old Polish man disappeared in the waters of the Waal in Oosterhout on Sunday. A body was found in the river near Rossum on Tuesday. The body hasn't yet been officially identified, but it is believed to be the Polish swimmer.

"Swimming in rivers and canals is often more dangerous than people think", police spokesperson Esther Naber said to the broadcaster. "Due to ship traffic, but also the changing temperatures. How seductive it may be to take a dip at these temperatures, it is not advisable. Unfortunately we've seen that this week."

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