Memorial planned for boy, 11, who died in river

A memorial is being planned to remember an 11-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty in a river in South Yorkshire, a council has said.

Mackenzie Swift went missing in the River Don in Mexborough, Doncaster, on 30 May and his body was recovered on 2 June after a 48-hour search operation.

City of Doncaster Council said it was in discussion with his relatives to create a "suitable tribute or place of remembrance" for Mackenzie.

Councillor Sue Farmer, the local authority's cabinet member for children, young people and families, said: "The community in Mexborough were devastated at the end of May when 11-year-old schoolboy Mackenzie Swift tragically drowned.

We are liaising with the family of Mackenzie in relation to a suitable tribute or place of remembrance."

She also said she was "deeply saddened" by the recent wave of water-related fatalities across the UK, adding councils, schools and public services needed "stronger national support, guidance and legislation" to raise awareness about open water safety risks.

"This tragic, avoidable loss of life serves as a stark reminder that our current approach to water safety is a national crisis and we must act with urgency to prevent further heartbreak in our communities," Farmer said.

Mackenzie's school described him as "a kind, caring and sensitive young man" whose "dry sense of humour and laughter brightened our classrooms and playgrounds".

Farmer highlighted the work of Sam's Army Mission 1 Life, a Rotherham-based charity set up by the family of Sam Haycock.

Sam, 16, drowned at Ulley Reservoir in Rotherham in 2021, with the charity recently partnering with the Daily Mirror for the "Save Lives for Sam" campaign, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North