Search Underway for Missing Teenager in Beckenham Place Park

Emergency services coordinate efforts following the disappearance of a 16-year-old boy after swimming in a lake.

Beckenham Place Park in South London has been evacuated as emergency services mobilize in search of a 16-year-old boy who went missing after swimming in a lake.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they received reports of the missing teenager shortly after 3:00 PM on Friday, April 4.

According to officials, the boy is believed to have encountered difficulty while in the water.

A spokesperson from the Met Police stated, "Police were called at 15:08hrs on Friday, 04 April to Beckenham Place Park.

A 16-year-old boy is believed to have got into difficulty in the water and is now missing.

Emergency services are currently coordinating a search."

The boy's next of kin have been informed and are receiving support from specialist officers.

The evacuation of the park was performed to facilitate ongoing search operations.

In addition to the Metropolitan Police, the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service have joined the efforts, providing a range of emergency response resources.

A spokesperson from the London Ambulance Service noted, "We were called at 3:02 PM this afternoon to reports of a person in the water.

We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, and members of our hazardous area response team.

We are still at the scene working alongside our emergency services partners."

Witnesses reported seeing emergency personnel searching the water with raft boats in attempts to locate the missing youth.

Additionally, teams from Lewisham Council are also assisting police on-site as the search continues into the evening.