'I NEED YOU BACK'
Teen, 14, drowns in canal in front of girlfriend as mum pays tribute to her ‘gorgeous baby boy’
A TEENAGE boy died after getting into difficulty in a canal over the Easter weekend.
George Lund, 14, was walking along the towpath with his girlfriend in the sun on Saturday afternoon when he jumped into the water.
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Sadly he quickly sank beneath the surface of the Aire and Calder Navigation in the Hunslet area of Leeds.
Police rushed to the scene at around 4.30pm - when temperatures hit highs of 13C - and a frantic search was launched.
The lad's body was pulled from the water around 90 minutes later, officers said.
George's heartbroken mum Stacie Lund said: "I love and miss you so much my gorgeous baby boy. I just need you back."
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Laying flowers at the scene, his grandmother Sam Buckham explained that George had been out with his partner when he suddenly decided to enter the cancel beside a lock.
A barge had not long passed through which created a strong current, making it hard for the teen to swim to safety.
Sam said he desperately tried to reach a ladder to get out of the water but was beaten by the current.
"He briefly came to the surface once and then sank below and his girlfriend called for help," she added.
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George's aunt Samantha Lowe described his sudden death as "traumatic and heartbreaking".
She said: "Stood watching the water specialists, paramedics and firefighters trying to find him under the water, [I was] hoping that he’d still be alive when they found him, but sadly he wasn’t
"Having to see my mum and my sister breakdown, literally dropping to the floor with the heartache, was awful.
"They shouldn’t have to be doing this. He was only 14. [He had] found his first love and everything.
"Every time I went to my mum’s he would show me his school books and how well he was doing, bless him.
"He had his life ahead of him. My heart is broken.
"I can't believe you are gone. I love you millions. RIP my beautiful angel."
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "At 4.32pm on Saturday, police received a concern for safety report for a male in the canal by Thwaite Lane, Leeds.
"Emergency services attended and recovered a teenage male from the water.
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"He received medical attention at the scene, but was sadly pronounced deceased a short time later."
The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file has been prepared for the coroner.
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