Body of missing man found in river by police

Published27 June 2026

Police have recovered the body of a 22-year-old man last seen entering the River Severn in the early hours of Friday morning.

Brody Leach was reported to have entered the river in Shrewsbury in jeans and no T-shirt just after 04:00 BST on Friday.

It was reported he had got into difficulty in the water, West Mercia Police said, and his death was not being treated as suspicious.

The force added his body had been formally identified by his family and his next of kin made aware, and asked for their privacy to be respected.

Parts of the town's Quarry park, the Porthill Bridge and Victoria Avenue were cordoned off as West Mercia Search and Rescue assisted police searches.

The area around the riverside has reopened, but additional police patrols will continue on Saturday to reassure the public.

It is the latest in a number of water deaths during this summer's hot weather.

A man died at a beach in Essex on Friday, while on Wednesday, a 50-year-old man was pronounced dead at Aberavon beach after getting into difficulty while swimming in the sea off the south coast of Wales.

Several people died during a previous hot spell in May, including a teenage girl in Warwickshire.

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West Mercia Police

West Mercia Police