Teenager feared to have drowned while helping in rescue of 10 children

A teenager has gone missing while trying to rescue 10 children who were swept away by a strong current.

Callum Osborne-Ward, 18, has not been seen since he entered the sea at Rockley Point in Poole Harbour, Dorset, on Monday afternoon.

The children had been seen jumping into the water from a railway bridge before being pulled away by a riptide.

Parents of the children and Mr Osborne-Ward had jumped in to save them.

Lifeboat crews, coastguard crews, helicopters and police have been deployed since Monday to search for Mr Osborne-Ward.

Mr Osborne-Ward has been described as white, 5ft 5in tall, and with short brown hair. He has the word ‘Dad’ tattooed on his chest and was wearing blue swimming shorts at the time he went missing, according to Bournemouth Echo.

Chief Inspector Glen Doran of the force said: “At this current time Callum remains unaccounted for and we cannot say for certain whether he is still in the water or has made it to land and is lost somewhere in the local area.

“We are working with the Coastguard and RNLI to carry out extensive searches of the water and shoreline and I am appealing to anyone who has any information as to his whereabouts – or who sees a young man matching the description given – to please contact us immediately.”

A spokesman for Dorset Police confirmed that 10 children in total were checked over by the ambulance service, and that three were taken to hospital as a precaution.

Dozens of people have tragically drowned in the UK over the past two weeks.

The deaths have lead the drowning prevention charity Royal Life Saving Society UK and HM Coastguard to urge the public to use caution when entering bodies of water to cool off during the recent spell of hot weather.

Watch: Sturgeon reflects on 'heartbreaking' drownings in Scotland

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