Major search underway after 14-year-old goes missing during swim at Crosby Beach

A major search operation is underway for a 14-year-old boy who has gone missing after swimming with friends at Crosby Beach.

Police say they were called just after 7pm where the group had been swimming in the River Mersey near to a radar tower.

The area is cordoned off and people are being urged to avoid the beach with police, the ambulance service and the coastgaurd all involved in the search.

Statement from Merseyside Police posted on social media:

In a statement, Merseyside Police say:

"We can confirm that emergency services are responding to an incident in Waterloo this evening, Sunday, 30 June.

"Just after 7 pm, emergency services received a report of a concern for the safety of a 14-year-old boy who had gone swimming in the River Mersey, near to the radar tower with a group of friends.

"His friends had come out of the river but had become separated from him and he has not been seen since. 

"The incident is ongoing and Crosby Beach near to the radar tower has been cordoned off.

"We are asking people to avoid the area at this time, whilst the emergency services, including the coastguard and North West Ambulance Service, continue searching for the missing boy."

RNLI Statement

Meanwhile the RNLI say they have two lifeboats in the search, they tell us:

"New Brighton RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was requested to launch at 6.41pm to conduct a search for a missing person in the River Mersey off Crosby.

"Hoylake RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat was later requested to launch at 7.50pm to join in the ongoing multi-agency search."

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