Boy, eight, who drowned on his birthday is named

POLICE yesterday identified an eight-year-old boy who drowned in a river while celebrating his birthday.

Aaron Page was found dead in the water at Bolton Bridge, near Bolton Abbey in Skipton, Yorkshire, on Saturday afternoon.

Witnesses said they lost sight of him around 3pm after he had entered the river.

Police and cave rescue, firefighters and underwater-search teams searched for the boy. His body was recovered at 6:25pm.

North Yorkshire police inspector Kevin Franks said: "Aaron was out with his extended family. There was quite a lot of them celebrating his eighth birthday at the Bolton Abbey estate.

"He was seen down by the stepping stones, and it would appear he's got himself on to a steep bank where the river is quite deep. He slipped off and got himself into difficulty. There is a strong current in that part of the river and he has been dragged under."

Today a spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said that Aaron's family had asked the media to respect their privacy while they grieve.

They are expected to release a picture and tribute.