Leah Harrison: 'happy' 10-year-old identified as North Yorkshire mudslide victim after severe flooding

Leah Harrison was on a school trip when she died in a mudslide at Carlton Bank on the edge of the North York Moors. The incident took place on Wednesday, May 22, when heavy rain came down in the area.

Rescue teams, including 30 mountain rescuers, were deployed at around 1.15pm and attempted to save the year six pupil but as heavy rain continued to fall, her rescue became impossible. Leah’s family have released a touching tribute to their beloved little girl.

They said: “Leah Harrison, the happy, bubbly, go-lucky little girl. The beautiful smile, the giddy laugh, the silly jokes. You will never ever be forgotten baby girl. You will achieve your dream and become a player for the Lionesses. Spread those wings. May you rest in paradise.”

A pupil at Mount Pleasant Primary School, Leah was described as a “much-loved” member of the school community by chief executive Nick Blackburn. He said: “The full details are still emerging but this is clearly a heartbreaking tragedy.

“Leah was a much-loved part of our school and our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and the school staff. Counselling is being arranged within the school for pupils and staff. We are all in a state of shock and we would ask that the privacy of the family and the school community is respected while we try to come to terms with what has happened.”

A Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team spokesperson said: “Nineteen Cleveland MRT members were deployed immediately, eventually rising to 30 at the scene during the course of the afternoon and working alongside their emergency service colleagues including the North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, in addition to the ambulance services.

“North Yorkshire Police have since confirmed that one person sadly died as a result of the incident. The thoughts of the mountain rescue volunteers are with the family and friends of the deceased during such a very sad time.”