Boy who died after getting into difficulties in Leeds canal named locally as tributes paid

The teenager, named locally as George Lund, was pronounced dead after he was pulled from a lock on the Aire and Calder Navigation in the Stourton area of Leeds on Saturday afternoon.

West Yorkshire Police said officers were called to the scene along with other emergency services as a major search operation began.

The boy was lifted from the water but declared dead shortly after, the force said.

George reportedly jumped into the lock on the sunny afternoon but immediately got into difficulties.

Family and friends took to social media on Monday to express their shock at what happened.

One wrote “George was a lovely lad” who “will never be forgotten”.

Another said: “He was taken too soon, he was always there for me. Fly high George, you are loved by many.”

And one friend wrote: “So sorry for your loss, he was such a lovely kid.”

A police spokesman said: “At 4.32pm on Saturday, police received a concern for safety report for a male in the canal by Thwaite Lane, Leeds.

“Emergency services attended and recovered a teenage male from the water.

“He received medical attention at the scene, but was sadly pronounced deceased a short time later.”

The spokesman added: “The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file has been prepared for the coroner.”