Man Who Died In Staffordshire Reservoir Is Named

2 July 2019, 08:17 | Updated: 3 July 2019, 05:55

A man who is believed to have died whilst trying to help a young girl in Chasewater Reservoir has been named as 21 year-old Carl Storer.

Carl, who lived in Tamworth, had got into difficulty after he went into the water to help a 9-year-old girl out of the reservoir.

Emergency services including West Midlands Ambulance Service, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Staffordshire Air Ambulance all attended at around 6pm on 30 June and sadly his body was recovered from the water a short time later.

In a tribute to Carl, his family said: "You were a really good brother and you will be deeply missed by family and friends. Rest in peace and fly with the eagles. You will always be loved."

Sergeant Fay Mills, from the Lichfield Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Carl's family are receiving support from specially-trained officers and our thoughts are with them at this time. We are working with partners to establish the circumstances of his death and a report is being prepared for the Coroners. We have an increased officer presence at the park today to offer reassurance and we would encourage everyone to avoid swimming in open water for their own safety."

Mark Winnington, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet member responsible for Chasewater, said: "Everyone is upset to hear the news of the tragic event at Chasewater reservoir and it is so sad that a day out enjoying the summer sun has ended in tragedy for this young man and his family and our thoughts are with his loved ones today.

"Though we do not yet know the full circumstances of how this happened, it is a sad reminder of how even the strongest swimmer can find themselves struggling while swimming in cold water.

"We all want to enjoy the warmer weather, but our advice to everyone is not to be tempted to cool off by swimming unsupervised in open waters."

Police continue to investigate the circumstances of what happened and the Coroner has been informed. A number of people were seen filming the incident as it unfolded and the Staffordshire force is asking the public not to share the footage publicly as it may be of a distressing nature.