A man and his three-year-old son have died after their small motorised boat overturned going over a 10ft weir in Barford, near Warwick.

The man, named locally as Julian Mynott, 42, was enjoying an afternoon on the river with Freddie, 3, and his two other children, Archie, 7, and Florence, 6, when the accident happened.

Locals managed to pull the two older children to safety, with the girl receiving CPR on the banks of the river after suffering cardiac arrest.

According to a BBC report she is in a serious-but-stable condition at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and the boy is conscious but poorly.

Local boatowners joined in the rescue efforts but the bodies of the man and his son were recovered several hours later and pronounced dead at the scene.

A statement issued by Warwickshire Police said: “All the emergency services involved in the operation have expressed their thanks to the people of Barford for their help and support during what has been an extremely difficult and tragic incident and their thoughts are with the bereaved.”

Barlow resident Charles Barlow said he had been brought up to keep clear of the weir, which is a sheer drop with a step at the bottom.

“I would have thought any boat would have been in trouble.”

Floral tributes have been left on a bridge close to where the incident happened.

One read: “So many tears will be shed for you both. Angels are watching over you now.”