Family photograph Twelve-year-old Junior Slater with short brown hair wearing a black coat. He is sitting on a sofa in a house.Family photograph

Junior Slater, 12, was swimming with friends when he got into difficulty

The family of a 12-year-old who died after getting into difficulty swimming in a river have said he was their “little blue-eyed boy”.

Junior Slater, from Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire, had been swimming with friends at the River Ribble in Ribchester, at about 14:00 BST on Tuesday, Lancashire Police said.

His body was recovered shortly before 20:00 after a major search, which included an underwater unit. In a tribute,, his family said Junior was the “life and soul of our lives” and would be “truly missed”. They are being supported by specially trained officers and have asked for privacy.

Junior’s death is one of multiple fatal incidents involving water during the recent heatwave.

In the tribute, released by police, his family said: “Our little blue-eyed boy.

“He will be truly missed. He was the life and soul of our lives.

“Words can’t describe how we are feeling right now. We will forever love you Junior.”

Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious, and a file would be passed in due course to the coroner.

The recent deaths have prompted warnings of the dangers of swimming in open water.

Water safety campaigner Rebecca Ramsay, whose son Dylan drowned at Hill Top Quarry in Chorley, Lancashire, in 2011, said she was “heartbroken for all the families” who were now “enduring my nightmare”.

She said all open water beauty spots could be “death traps” and no one should risk their lives.

Water ‘remains cold’

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) said “warmer weather unfortunately sees an increase in accidental drownings”.

It warned water temperatures remained very cold despite increased air temperatures, and that cold water shock could make swimming difficult and harder to get out of the water.

Jim Bridge, from Greater Manchester Water Safety Partnership, urged those who found themselves in difficulty in the water to “float to live”.

He told BBC Breakfast: “Lie on your back with you head back, with your ears submerged, use your arms and legs to stabilise yourself and just let your breathing come back to a normal breathing pattern.

“And when you’re feeling confident that you’ve gotten used to the water and your breathing’s normal, you can shout for help or swim to save yourself.”