Cliff Notes
- Izaiah Smith, a 15-year-old boy, died after an incident in a lake at Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham, with emergency teams recovering him late on Friday evening.
- His death is classified as unexpected but not suspicious; the police are collaborating with the council to investigate the circumstances.
- The park has reopened, but the lake is closed with security in place pending further investigations.
Boy who died after entering lake in Lewisham in southeast London named as Izaiah Smith | UK News
A 15-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty in a lake in southeast London has been named as Izaiah Smith.
The Met Police says his family has been informed and is being supported.
Officers and paramedics were called to Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham shortly after 3pm on Friday.
Specialist diving teams, ambulance crews and firefighters also attended and Izaiah was recovered from the park’s lake at about 10.42pm.
“He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead,” a Scotland Yard spokesperson said.
“His death is being treated as unexpected but [is] not believed to be suspicious.”
Lewisham Council, which manages the park, said the outdoor space had re-opened on Saturday.
The lake will remain closed with security in place until further notice, however.
“We are working closely with the police in order that their investigation establishes the full facts of what’s happened,” the council said.
Beckenham Place Park, which borders the London borough of Bromley, covers around 240 acres, according to the park’s website.
The lake is described as 285 metres long, reaching depths of up to 3.5 metres.
It is designed as a swimming lake for open-water swimming and paddle boarding.
