A boy is missing after getting into difficulties in the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales on Sunday afternoon, it is understoodSebastian McCormick, Mark Branagan and Eliana Nunes News Reporter
20:28, 31 May 2026Updated 01:15, 01 Jun 2026
Emergency services have been seen near the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales(Image: Ben Lack Photography Ltd)
A child is missing after getting into difficulties in the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales, it is understood.
A major emergency response is under way near the river in the village of Burnsall, north of Skipton, with eyewitnesses saying it relates to a youngster in trouble in the water. The boy’s family are understood to have raised the alarm on Sunday afternoon.
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was spotted landing by the river at around 7pm on Sunday, Yorkshire Live reports. Yorkshire Ambulance Service and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are also in attendance. Police used drones in the search, which is believed to have been called off for the night.
The child’s family have been watching events unfold from the hillside. A man at a local pub said: “It is tragic for the family. It was such a lovely afternoon as well. We can’t believe it.”
Emergency services have yet to issue a statement.