'Bright' and 'caring' schoolgirl, 13, who drowned in river during heatwave is pictured as devastated family pay tribute

Published: 20:38, 8 June 2026 | Updated: 20:40, 8 June 2026 A 'bright' and 'caring' schoolgirl who drowned in a river on the hottest day of the year has been pictured for the first time as her devastated family pay tribute.  Palwasha Akbar, 13, died in an accident while swimming in the River Wharfe in Burnsall, North Yorkshire, during the last month's heatwave. Emergency services rushed to the scene at 6.30pm on Sunday, May 31, following reports Palwasha had gone missing in the river.  The teen was rescued from the water and taken to hospital by air ambulance, however, sadly died a short time later.  Her tragic passing follows a string of fatalities during last month's high temperatures, with a total of 19 people, including 13 children, reported to have suffered open-water deaths. Palwasha's family have now paid tribute to the Year 9 Bronte Girls' Secondary Academy student through a crowd-funding page set up in her memory. Malali Khan, organising the fundraiser, described Palwasha's 'gentle nature' and 'caring heart,' saying she had a 'bright future' ahead of her.  She said: 'Palwasha Akbar was a bright, kind, and caring 13-year-old girl whose tragic passing has left her family, friends, school, and community heartbroken. Palwasha Akbar died in an accident while swimming in the River Wharfe in North Yorkshire during the last month's heatwave 'Palwasha loved reading, spending time with her friends, and bringing happiness to those around her. She was a hardworking student with a warm smile, a gentle nature, and a caring heart. 'She had a bright future ahead of her and touched the lives of so many people through her kindness and positivity. 'Thank you for helping us remember a beautiful young girl who was taken far too soon but will never be forgotten.'  Lyndsay Hall, acting principal at Bronte Girls' Secondary Academy, said the school is 'deeply saddened' by the death of a 'much-loved' member of their community. Ms Hall said: 'She was one of our star pupils and will be remembered for her compassion and willingness to go above and beyond to help others. 'All our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and everyone affected by this tragic loss at this incredibly difficult time.'  Palwasha's funeral was held on Wednesday evening, according to a social media update posted by Janaza Announcements.  An inquest into her death is expected to open at Northallerton Coroner's Court on June 18. Palwasha's passing follows a string of fatalities during last month's high temperatures, with a total of 19 people reported to have suffered open-water deaths The tribute comes as the inquest into the death of 14-year-old Samuel Murphy, who drowned after going missing while swimming at a lake during the recent heatwave, opened on Monday.  Samuel, from Camberly in Surrey, was reported missing at 3.28pm on May 26 at Hawley Lake near Blackwater.  A 'multi-agency operation' was launched by Hampshire Constabulary to locate the teen, which involved marine and drone units working alongside the National Police Air Service, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and divers from the Metropolitan Police, supported by the Army. Samuel's body was recovered the following afternoon.  A short hearing held at Winchester Coroner's Court heard the cause of death had not yet been determined, but further investigations were being carried out. A similar tragedy, occurring during the heatwave on May 28, includes that of 19-year-old Panashe Muchenje, who drowned in a lake while swimming with his two friends.   Panashe, a Zimbabwean national living in Nottingham, was captured in footage widely shared online lowering himself into Balderton Lake near Newark before getting into difficulty.  He is understood to have been in the lake for 22 minutes before being pulled out and treated by paramedics who had rushed to the scene.  Panashe Muchenje died on May 28 after drowning in a lake while swimming with his friends during the heatwave Panashe was brought to hospital, however, police confirmed he sadly died.  Chief Inspector for Newark, Clive Collings, described Panashe's death as a 'tragic incident' and said the force's thoughts 'are solely with this young man's family.' Similarly, 13-year-old Reco Puttock, from Halifax, experienced difficulty while swimming at Leadbeater Dam in West Yorkshire on May 25 during the hot temperatures. Emergency crews rushed to the scene at around 3.20pm.  West Yorkshire Fire, Police and Ambulance teams led the search for the teen, who tragically died in hospital after being pulled from the water. Mackenzie Swift, who was only 11, was found after a multi-agency effort - including underwater divers and mountain rescue volunteers - on May 30 after going missing in the River Don in South Yorkshire.  South Yorkshire Police began looking for Mackenzie shortly after 8pm following reports he had gone into the river near Ferry Boat Lane in Mexborough.  It took 48 hours for his body to be located, with the search concluding on Monday, June 2, at 11pm.  Reco Puttock experienced difficulty while swimming at Leadbeater Dam in West Yorkshire on during the hot temperatures Mackenzie Swift died after entering the river River Don in South Yorkshire An online fundraiser in memory of Mackenzie and to aid his grieving family has raised more than £15,000 so far. The GoFundMe, set up by Dale Coles, reads: 'To lose their boy must be the worst feeling in the world, and then on top of that comes the massive cost of having a funeral for him.  'So in light of this and the tons of messages from the community, we thought this might help with anything they need.  'So please even if it's only £1 you can donate, every little helps the family through this horrendous time of there lives.'  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.