THE death toll in the rivers of York this year has risen to three with the tragic discovery of the body of a young man.

The body was recovered from the River Ouse in the centre of the city shortly after 11am today after it was spotted by a member of the public.

Although the identity of the dead man has yet to be established it is believed to be that of 18-year-old soldier Tyler Pearson, who went missing in the water two weeks ago.

And in an effort to confirm his identity members of the teenager’s family were today making the heartbreaking trip north from their Nottingham home.

The body was found close to Terry Avenue near Skeldergate Bridge, some 200 yards downstream from King’s Staith, where the teenager entered the river.

A signaller based at Imphal Barracks in the city, he is believed to have gone into the water in an attempt to swim to the other side.

Police issued a short statement confirming a body had been recovered but are not expected to be able to confirm the identity until tomorrow (Friday, April 18).

Signaller Pearson went missing at about 2.30am on April 3 after going into the river near the Lowther pub after crossing nearby Ouse Bridge with two other people.

The latest incident follows two other tragedies in York rivers which have highlighted the dangers they can present.

In January 20-year-old Megan Roberts, a student from York St John University, fell into the Ouse at the end of a night out with friends. Her body was not found for another six weeks.

And in early March a former student from the same university, 22-year-old Ben Clarkson, disappeared in the early hours on the way home from a night out. His body was found 19 days later.

In the last 15 years there have been at least 25 deaths in York’s rivers and the recent tragedies drove North Yorkshire’s police and crime commissioner Julia Mulligan to call a safety summit to address the issue.

It focused on prevention and education and afterwards Mrs Mulligan said there was agreement on the need to develop a city-wide campaign about the dangerous mix of alcohol and rivers.