Man dies after being pulled from River Irwell as police launch investigation

Saturday, 1 November 2025 16:36

By David Murphy

A man who was rescued from the River Irwell in Salford has died in hospital, prompting an investigation by Greater Manchester Police into how he came to be in the water.

A man in his 40s has died after being pulled from the River Irwell in Salford, Greater Manchester Police have confirmed.

Emergency services were called to the river near Langley Road, Swinton, shortly before 2pm on Friday, 31 October. Firefighters from Agecroft and Broughton, supported by the water incident unit from Eccles and an enhanced rescue team from Leigh, managed to recover the man from the water. He was handed over to paramedics and airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.

Sadly, police confirmed on Saturday, 1 November, that the man has since died.

A section of the riverside path next to a cemetery remained cordoned off on Saturday as police continued their enquiries. Images from the scene showed multiple emergency vehicles and an air ambulance landing nearby.

In a statement, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said:

“Firefighters pulled one person from the water before transferring them into the care of colleagues from North West Ambulance Service. Crews were at the scene for around an hour and a half before handing over to Greater Manchester Police.”

The incident triggered a large-scale emergency response, with multiple units from police, fire and ambulance services, including specialist teams, deployed to the area.

GMP has launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the man entering the river. No further details about the man’s identity have been released at this stage.

The force is appealing for anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.