The father of a 13-year-old girl who drowned in the River Wharfe in North Yorkshire has shared the devastating impact of her death on his family, describing their current state as 'agony'. Palwasha Akbar was celebrating her birthday with family on 31 May at Burnsall when she got into difficulty in the water. Despite being rescued and taken to hospital, she tragically died shortly after.
Irshad Akbar, Palwasha's father, spoke movingly about his daughter, who was due to turn 14 the following day. He described her as a 'God-gifted child', lamenting how a day intended for celebration had turned into one of profound loss. The family had chosen the popular rural location at Palwasha's request, planning a riverside barbecue and allowing the children to play and cool off in a shallower part of the river.
The incident unfolded around 6:30 PM BST as the family was preparing to leave. Mr Akbar recounted that his two daughters and a niece decided to take a short walk. His wife followed them but momentarily lost sight of the girls in a crowd. Within minutes, the three had ventured into a deeper section of the water, an area the family knew to be hazardous. Both Palwasha and her 11-year-old sister encountered difficulties, but the younger girl was pulled to safety by a member of the public.
Palwasha was later rescued from the water and transported to hospital, but despite the efforts of medical staff, she succumbed a short time later. Mr Akbar labelled the event a 'terrible accident' and spoke of the immense challenge his family faces in coping with their grief. He highlighted the widespread sorrow, noting that 'everyone is crying for her, everybody is missing her, her teachers, friends, cousins, everyone'.
In the wake of their loss, Palwasha's family and community have initiated fundraising efforts for charitable causes. They hope to create a 'positive and lasting' legacy in her name. As part of this, Irshad Akbar is advocating for enhanced safety measures in areas like the River Wharfe, specifically calling for the provision of life jackets and the installation of fencing around particularly deep water sections. He emphasised the unpredictable nature of children and urged parents to 'always stay close' and 'expect anything', stressing the importance of caution around deep water.