A drowning 15-year-old girl who was pulled from a picturesque lake by a young boy has died in hospital.
The tragic teen was playing in the water at Cotswold Water Park near Ashton Keynes, Glos., when her parents lost sight of her at around 3.45pm on Sunday.
She is thought to have spent 15 minutes lying face-down in the 3ft deep water before a boy playing football dragged her out and a lifeguard carried out emergency resuscitation.
The girl, from Middlesex, was rushed to Great Western Hospital in Swindon, Wilts., where she died on Monday afternoon.
Watermark, which manages the park and beach, said three lifeguards, two off-duty lifeguards and two managers had been on site to deal with the situation.
A spokesman said: ”Three uniformed lifeguards quickly resumed their posts, ensuring the safety of other visitors.
”They decided against a mass evacuation of the bathing area, which would have caused confusion and panic and hampered the arrival of the emergency services.
”Two off-duty lifeguards, who were spending their day off at the beach, also assisted.
”We believe the pilot may have taken the decision to land well away from where members of the public might be, in accordance with protocol.”
The teenager was holidaying with her family at the beauty spot when her parents realised she had gone missing and alerted lifeguards at around 3.45pm on Sunday.
A frantic search was launched before several children playing at the lakeside spotted her body lying in the water.
A young boy, who police are keen to trace, is then thought to have leapt into the water to pull her out.
Father-of-one Ben Greenaway, who was sitting on the beach nearby, said: ”It was a horrible experience – one of the worst things I have seen.
”I was sitting on the shore with my daughter and this family called the lifeguards over saying they could not find her.
”About five minutes later a couple of children dragged a body out of the lake right where my daughter was playing.”
Paramedics from the Great Western Ambulance Service rushed to the scene at around 4.30pm and Wiltshire Air Ambulance arrived at 5pm.
The girl was then taken to Great Western Hospital by land ambulance, but tragically died at around 4pm on Monday.
Gloucestershire Police say they are keen to speak to the young boy who helped with the attempted rescue of the girl.
