A 19-year-old boy has died after drowning in a lake in Nottinghamshire while out with friends during the UK heatwave, with video of the incident circulating on social media.
Panashe Muchenje, a Zimbabwean national from Nottingham, was visiting Balderton Lake near Newark on May 28 when he got into difficulty after entering the water. He was pulled out after about 22 minutes, treated by paramedics at the scene, and later died in hospital.
His family has urged social media companies to remove the footage and asked the public not to speculate about his death. Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
His family have asked people to stop speculating about his de@th which only “added insult to injury”. Police have confirmed that his d£ath is not being treated as suspicious.
He is understood to have been in the lake for 22 minutes before he was pulled out and treated by paramedics at the scene.
He was then rushed to hospital, with police later confirming the teen had di£d as a result of the events on May 28.
Nottinghamshire County Councillor for Balderton, Johno Lee, said: “I am both shocked and deeply concerned to learn that video footage relating to the tragic de@th of a young boy at Balderton Lake is reportedly being circulated across social media platforms, including Facebook, X and others.
“This is a complete disgrace.
“A family has suffered the unimaginable loss of a child. The thought that grieving relatives and loved ones could be confronted with footage of those final moments appearing online is utterly unacceptable.”
Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed to the Nottingham Post that no investigation is underway and that a file is being prepared for the coroner.
The Balderton councillor went on to say: “My thoughts remain with the boy’s family, friends and everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy.
“I am calling on social media companies to get a grip of this situation and remove any such footage immediately. These platforms have both the ability and the responsibility to act quickly when harmful content is being shared.
“I also call upon Nottinghamshire Police to review any footage that has been circulated and to investigate any concerns or allegations arising from it.
“While it would be wrong to speculate on the circumstances, any questions raised about the actions of individuals present at the scene should be thoroughly examined by the appropriate authorities so that the facts can be established.
“I would urge members of the public not to share these videos under any circumstances. Instead, please report them immediately to the relevant social media platform so they can be removed.
“Right now, the focus should be on supporting the family, respecting their privacy and dignity, and ensuring that this deeply distressing content is taken down as quickly as possible.”
Chief Inspector for Newark Clive Collings said: “This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are solely with this young man’s family.”
“We recognise this will be very upsetting for the local community, and we encourage people to access support if they need it.
“During hot weather we know people want to keep cool but open waters are exceptionally dangerous as there is no way of telling what’s beneath the surface.”