A tragic sequence of events is emerging following a major emergency operation at Draycote Water near Rugby earlier today, where a man is feared to have drowned after jumping into the reservoir to save a younger male believed to be his son.

Emergency services were called to the scene around 3:00pm on Thursday, 29 May, after reports that two people had gone overboard from a small boat on the reservoir.

According to information now surfacing from sources close to the scene, it is understood that the younger male—described as a child or teenager—fell into the water first. He was wearing a life jacket at the time.

The older man, presumed to be the boy’s father, is said to have entered the water in an attempt to rescue him. However, his own life jacket was later found still inside the boat. He failed to resurface.

The younger male was successfully pulled from the water and received immediate medical attention. He was rushed to hospital by paramedics, where he remains in a serious condition. His current status has not been publicly confirmed by hospital staff.

Despite extensive efforts from Warwickshire Police, specialist dive teams, and fire and rescue services, the older man had not been found as of Thursday evening. A major multi-agency search remains underway, and the area has been closed to the public.

Warwickshire Police confirmed the man’s family is being supported by specially trained officers. A spokesperson added:

“Draycote Water remains shut while we and our emergency service partners continue the search. We would ask members of the public not to approach or enter the area as this could hinder ongoing operations.”

Public Update Frustration

Some members of the public expressed frustration at the lack of clear channels for submitting eyewitness updates. One local resident who witnessed the early stages of the incident told UKNIP:

“There was no obvious way on the website to provide an update. I saw what happened but didn’t know who to contact. This delay could make a difference in an emergency.”

Efforts are now being made to establish a public information portal to assist in future incidents.

Ongoing Appeal

Police continue to urge anyone who may have witnessed the events at Draycote Water between 2:30pm and 4:00pm, or who may have relevant video footage, to contact them via 101 quoting incident reference number 279-29/05/2025.