Mystery of waterway deaths: Body pulled from river is fifth tragedy

Five people have died in and around Kirklees' waterways this month.
Emergency services at the scene of a body recovered from the River Calder at Sands Lane Dewsbury. Pic by Ash MilnesEmergency services at the scene of a body recovered from the River Calder at Sands Lane Dewsbury. Pic by Ash Milnes
Emergency services at the scene of a body recovered from the River Calder at Sands Lane Dewsbury. Pic by Ash Milnes

The discovery of a man’s body in the River Calder in Dewsbury yesterday was the latest death.

Police were called to Sands Lane at around 11.35am after reports a body had been spotted in the water.

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Officers recovered the body of man from the river under the railway viaduct. Enquiries are ongoing.

Police at scene Canal side at Low Mill Lane, RavensthorpePolice at scene Canal side at Low Mill Lane, Ravensthorpe
Police at scene Canal side at Low Mill Lane, Ravensthorpe

The discovery came just five days after a man’s body was found in the same river, off Huddersfield Road in Mirfield, on Good Friday.

Officers recovered the body, which has not yet been identified, at around 3pm.

A police spokesman said: “There are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances in the death and enquiries remain ongoing to identify the man.”

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Just two days earlier on March 23, police pulled a man from the canal in Dewsbury.

Police at scene Canal side at Low Mill Lane, RavensthorpePolice at scene Canal side at Low Mill Lane, Ravensthorpe
Police at scene Canal side at Low Mill Lane, Ravensthorpe

Emergency services were called to Slaithwaite Close in Thornhill Lees at 7.40am after a member of the public spotted the man near the Nelson Inn.

He was taken to Dewsbury and District Hospital by ambulance but later died.

A further body - understood to be that of Batley man Hamza Amer, aged 19 - was recovered from the Huddersfield Broad Canal on Vine Street at around 7.40am on March 17.

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Detective Inspector George Bardell of Kirklees District CID said his death was not being treated as suspicious.

Three days prior to the incident, a man’s body was found near a canal towpath in Dewsbury. The body was discovered by a member of the public near to Low Mill Lane in Ravensthorpe at around 9.15am on March 14.

Early indications are that the body was that of a white male, aged between 30 and 50 years who would have been between 5”9” tall and 6”1” tall and of slim build.

He was wearing a No Fear short sleeved T-shirt and chino style shorts with a palm tree design.

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Detective Chief Inspector Mark Swift of the Homicide and Major Enquiry team said: “Our investigation is at an early stage, and our priority is identifying the victim, with the death presently been treated as unexplained.”