Tragic Loss of Teen in Canal on Hottest Day of the Year
In a heart-wrenching incident on the hottest day of the year, a young teenager, Preston McNally, aged 16, lost his life in the Leeds-Liverpool Canal in Burnley, Lancashire. The incident unfolded on a Saturday evening, triggering an urgent response from emergency services.
At 4:20 PM on that fateful Saturday, a distress call brought emergency responders to the scene, launching a frantic search for Preston. Tragically, the search ended in sorrow as his lifeless body was recovered from the water shortly before 7:20 PM.
Remembering Preston McNally
In the wake of this devastating loss, family and friends took to social media to pay tribute to Preston. A heartbroken family member described him as a young man who had the remarkable gift of making everyone around him burst into laughter.
Expressing profound grief, the relative said, “Oh my darling boy. My heart is broken. You didn’t deserve this, and our family didn’t deserve this. You were so loved and you made every person laugh so much.”
They recalled a recent memory, saying, “It was only days ago you chipped your front tooth (I’ve heard you still had 4 girls around you). I am so sorry you have been taken from us, I’m sorry for us all but especially your mum and dad and my dad too.”
Preston’s impact extended far and wide, touching the lives of his sisters, aunties, cousins, and nannies. The relative concluded with a heavy heart, “My heart aches, and I don’t know how we will ever come to terms with losing you. Forever 16 and forever in our hearts. Love you always.”
Unbearable Grief
Other grieving family members also shared their pain. One of them said, “Yesterday we lost someone who was loved by so many. Our sweet squishy faced blue-eyed boy, he was the bane of our lives.”
Words could not capture the depth of their sorrow: “Words cannot comprehend how we are all feeling as a family, we are devastated, empty and just like that overnight our world has crashed down into a million pieces.”
Another added, “There will only ever be one Preston McNally.”
Record-Breaking Heat
Preston’s tragic death occurred during a heatwave, as confirmed by the Met Office, which reported the UK’s seventh consecutive day of 30°C heat. Saturday, the day of the incident, marked the hottest day of the year with temperatures soaring to 32.7°C at Heathrow. On Sunday, temperatures reached 32.5°C in Cambridge, setting a record for the longest September heatwave in the UK.
As friends and family mourn the loss of Preston McNally, the entire community reflects on the profound impact of this tragic incident on a day when the sun blazed relentlessly.