Body found in quarry pool in search for missing teenager
A body has been found in a search for a teenager who disappeared after entering a quarry pool.
Formal identification has not yet taken place, but it is believed to be that of a missing 18-year-old man who entered Shavers End Quarry, near Stourport at around 8.30pm on Sunday.
The body has been recovered by police divers from North West Police underwater search team who have been helping West Mercia Police with the investigation.
The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.
The man's next of kin have been informed and West Mercia Police ask that the family's privacy be respected at this time.
The secluded former limestone quarry is home to a pool known as the blue lagoon which is sometimes used by swimmers despite signs warning of danger nearby.
Police officers, paramedics and firefighters were all sent to the scene off the A451 at Abberley, around four miles south of Southport, on Sunday evening.
Specialist hazardous response teams searched the water for around 90 minutes but paramedics were stood down when there was still no sign of the man at 10.15pm.
An area of woodland that surrounds the quarry was still cordoned off this morning as police continued to scour the area.
An interactive map of the scene:
Shavers End Quarry was a functioning limestone quarry until 2002.
Now there is a deep pool situated at the bottom of limestone cliffs, with high rocks above sometimes used by swimmers to jump into the water.
Police and councillors have warned about the dangers of swimming there in the past, with fears over the temperature, depth, pH levels and contents of the water.
These photos taken at the pool earlier this year show a variety of debris beneath the water including two abandoned cars:
Lewis Morgan, aged 20 and from nearby Abberley, said the pool is "ridiculously cold and so deep".
The bartender at The Manor Arms in the village added: "We were told never to go into quarry growing up as it's dangerous.
"When it is hot, and being a big body of water, people want to go in there.
"I have noticed in the past couple of years, when you drive past at night, there is still cars there. Potentially people go there from Stourport, which is up the road."
Another man, who wished not to be named, said: "The quarry was working in the early 90s but it went out of use and filled up with water. You always see cars parked there."
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "We were called to reports of a missing person in the water at Shavers End Quarry, Dunley, Worcester at 8.31pm last night," they added.
"Three paramedic officers, two ambulances, a MERIT trauma doctor and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team paramedics responded to the scene.
"HART paramedics donned water rescue equipment to assist with search efforts.
"Following a joint emergency service meeting, ambulance crews were stood down at 10.15pm as no patient was found."
Anyone with information is urged to contact West Mercia Police on 101 quoting incident 795s of July 7 2019.
