Tragedy as man, 20, found dead in village river on hottest weekend of the year
A family have paid tribute to their 20-year-old son who was found dead in their village river this week.
It is understood that on Friday, June 20 Jacob Rutkowski was at the river Tees in County Durham when the tragedy took place. It is believed he entered the water in Gainford but began to struggle, sparking a huge emergency response.
After a 999 call was made at around 2.30pm the air ambulance, mountain rescue crews, police helicopter, paramedics and fire crews all rushed to the rural village. Drones and rescue dogs were also used in the search in a desperate bid to save Jacob.
Despite their best efforts Jacob was unable to be saved and several hours later police Durham Police confirmed that they had pulled a body from the river. Their statement on Friday night read: "We're sorry to report that a body has been found in the river at Gainford this evening. It is believed a 20-year-old man had entered the water this afternoon and got into difficulty.
"Formal identification has yet to take place but the man's family have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. We would like to thank all our emergency services partners for their assistance."
While police have yet to formally identify the body as the 20-year-old from from Darlington, County Durham, a GoFundMe page set up by Jacob's loved ones suggests it was Jacob.
The page was set up to raise funds for his funeral and a heartbreaking message shared to the page read: "As many of you have already heard, our family experienced the unimaginable. This devastating loss has left our entire family heartbroken beyond words. He was a son, a brother, a loving boyfriend — and above all, a beautiful soul taken far too soon.
"We are raising funds to help with funeral and memorial costs, and to support the family during this painful time. Anything you can give will help ease the burden and allow us to focus on grieving and honouring his memory. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
The last few days have seen Brits hit with sweltering heat blasts reaching well above the average for the time of year, with the southeast blasted with 33.2C on Saturday. And when temperatures reach highs of 30C it's easy to see why people take a dip in their local river or lake.
This week marks Drowning Prevention Week, and in a bid to raise awareness of water safety risks the London Fire Brigade (LFB) is increasing engagement with communities.
LFB has attended more than 280 water-related incidents this year so far, an increase of about 15% compared with the same period in 2024, it said. They have included incidents such as sinking and capsized boats, individuals trapped in mud or caught by the tide, and people and animals in distress in the water. Fifteen incidents resulted in people drowning in London, the fire brigade said.
For advice on what to do if you get into difficulty in the water visit the RNLI website by clicking here.
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