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| Inquiry as boy, 13, dies canoeing | Inquiry as boy, 13, dies canoeing |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The death of a 13-year-old boy while canoeing on a river during a school trip is being investigated by police. | The death of a 13-year-old boy while canoeing on a river during a school trip is being investigated by police. |
| Stewart McEwan, from the Earley area of Reading, Berkshire, died during a canoeing exercise on the River Usk near Brecon, say Dyfed-Powys Police. | Stewart McEwan, from the Earley area of Reading, Berkshire, died during a canoeing exercise on the River Usk near Brecon, say Dyfed-Powys Police. |
| Officers say the circumstances are still being established. | Officers say the circumstances are still being established. |
| The alarm was raised on Saturday afternoon and Stewart was airlifted to hospital in Hereford, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. | The alarm was raised on Saturday afternoon and Stewart was airlifted to hospital in Hereford, but he was pronounced dead on arrival. |
| Stewart had been on a week-long trip to Brecon, and police have taped off two areas of the river about a mile east of the town. | |
| His body was recovered in a joint operation between Dyfed-Powys Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. | His body was recovered in a joint operation between Dyfed-Powys Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. |
| The fire service sent a rescue boat from its Hay-on-Wye station to assist in the operation, which began at about 1500 GMT. For the inexperienced it's the place to start out canoeing Robert Spencer, canoeist | |
| Canoeist Robert Spencer said it was a "grade two" river which was "fairly relaxed". | |
| "The water levels are fairly low," he said. | |
| "There are no real danger spots. You get one or two rapids but they are fairly easy to handle. | |
| "You may get some undercurrent under roots and tree branches. But generally, relatively safe river. | |
| "But for the inexperienced it's the place to start out canoeing." | |
| He was shocked that there had been a death on the river. | |
| "I'm not sure what the levels were like yesterday, maybe they were slightly higher, but it's really shocking. | |
| "I've not heard of any mishaps before on this river. Generally if you go up to three or four grade rivers you get some danger spots, but this is a relatively safe river." | |
| Another canoeist, James Roberts, said: "It's quite an easy river to paddle. There aren't many danger areas so it's good fun, but safe. | |
| "This is quite an easy place." | |
| A post-mortem examination on Stewart is yet to be carried out. | A post-mortem examination on Stewart is yet to be carried out. |