Household pictureHaving a lifeguard on obligation may have stopped a youngster dying at a south Wales seaside, a coroner has discovered.
David Ejimofor, 15, died at Aberavon seaside, Neath Port Talbot on 19 June 2023, after leaping into the ocean with pals whereas celebrating the tip of their exams.
Assistant coroner, Ed Ramsay, stated if a lifeguard was working “it’s potential that David wouldn’t have jumped into water and wouldn’t have drowned”.
He additionally discovered there weren’t sufficient deterrents, corresponding to boundaries and signage, on the pier to forestall the dying.
Mr Ramsay stated there was proof {that a} “lifeguard on breakwater had labored prior to now”.
On Tuesday, the court docket heard the lifeguard services finished at 18:00 BST that day.
The inquest discovered David jumped into the ocean at about 19:00 and drowned inside minutes.
Mr Ramsay stated David’s swimming skill “would have been an element” too in addition to the potential ingredient of cold-water shock and panic.
David’s mom, Maria Ejimofor, had beforehand stated he had swimming lessons as a child but was not confident within the water.
An off-duty police officer who was paddleboarding arrived inside two minutes of his disappearance below the water and helped get well the physique from the seabed.
The coroner stated David’s dimension “made rescue efforts tough” as he was an enormous and tall 15-year-old.
Household pictureThe household maintained that signage on the pier was a problem – regardless that there was one signal warning of the hazards on the time.
Rebecca Mansell, representing the household, stated David didn’t see this as a result of he entered the breakwater additional down the seaside from the signal.
The inquest heard higher signage has been put up since David’s dying.
Ms Mansell stated the presence of a lifeguard on the pier would have led to a “very completely different consequence for David”.
A prevention of future deaths report may even be printed by the assistant coroner.
