After receiving a request from the ambulance service, stating that they had received a report of a canoeist in difficulty in a fast flowing beck, in Reeth, fire appliances from Reeth and Leyburn, together with level 3 swift water rescue teams from Richmond and Ripon, a supervisory officer and a level 5 water rescue officer, were all dispatched to the incident.
Together with the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, fire service level 3 trained water teams deployed and rescued a male canoeist from the water.
A spokesman for North Yorkshire Police said:
The force was called shortly after 1pm on Sunday 27 January 2013, following reports that a man canoeing with friends, had got into difficulties on the Arkle Beck at Reeth, near Leyburn.
Police officers greatly assisted by the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and an RAF air support unit, located the man in the beck a short time later. He was removed from the water at around 2.30pm by officers from the Fire and Rescue Service and the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team.
He was taken to James Cook University Hospital by air ambulance where he was sadly pronounced dead.
There do not appear to be any suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident, which is being treated as a tragic accident.
We are not in a position to release any further details about the man’s identity until his next of kin have been informed.
