Emergency Services Search River Don for Missing 11-Year-Old Boy in Mexborough

A large-scale search operation is underway in Mexborough for an 11-year-old boy who was reported missing after entering the River Don.

Emergency services responded to Ferry Boat Lane at approximately 20:00 BST on Saturday following reports that a boy had entered the water and failed to re-emerge.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed that a specialist operation, including underwater search teams, is ongoing. The boy's family is receiving support. Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area to allow search crews to continue their work unimpeded.

Inspector Neil Pryce stated that witness accounts and items discovered on the riverbank indicate the boy's entry point into the water. "Utilising specialist knowledge and skills, a coordinated multi-agency operation is under way and we are doing everything we can to find this young man," Pryce commented.

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service personnel were deployed on Saturday, but initial efforts to locate the boy were unsuccessful. Resources remain on scene today as the multi-agency search persists.