Crosby beach search called off for boy, 14, missing after swimming with friends in River Mersey

The search for a teenager who went missing while swimming with friends in the River Mersey has been called off.

Merseyside Police launched a search for the 14-year-old boy after he became separated from a group of friends on Sunday evening while swimming near the Seaforth Radar Tower off Crosby beach, Waterloo.

The coastguard, police, fire and rescue units, helicopters and the ambulance service were all involved in the operation overnight after emergency services were notified of the boy’s disappearance shortly after 7pm.

On Monday, a pathway to the tower was cordoned off while a rescue boat was sent out in the river near the tower, once used to track vessels in the shipping channel.

Just after midday on Monday, it was confirmed that the Coastguard had called off the search.

A HM Coastguard spokesman said: “The search for a person reported missing in the Crosby Beach area on June 30 was stood down, pending further information, at about 10am on July 1.”

The Coastguard was seen leaving the scene by local reporters just before 11am, while some police presence remained. The search has since been called off.

A spokesperson for the RNLI, said: “A number of RNLI lifeboats were involved in a multi-agency search for a missing person in the Crosby Beach area.

“This morning (1 July), New Brighton RNLI’s inshore lifeboat and Lytham St Annes all-weather lifeboat were tasked at 5.15am and 5.30am.

“This morning’s search followed on from yesterday evening (June 30) when at approximately 6.41pm, New Brighton’s inshore lifeboat was requested to launch to conduct a search followed by Hoylake’s all-weather lifeboat at 7.50pm.”