The cause of death of an 11-year-old boy who died after entering a South Yorkshire river remains unconfirmed, though an inquest has revealed features consistent with drowning. Mackenzie Swift was last seen entering the River Don near Mexborough, Doncaster, on May 30. Emergency services were alerted when he failed to resurface, prompting a 48-hour search operation.
His body was recovered on June 2, bringing the total number of open-water deaths during the heatwave to 17. An inquest opened and adjourned at Doncaster Coroner's Court on Thursday heard details of the incident from coroner's officer Siobhan Golightly. She stated that emergency services were called to reports of a child in difficulty in the water and launched an extensive search and rescue operation. Sadly, Mackenzie's body was located and recovered on June 2.
The coroner, Louise Slater, was informed that Mackenzie was formally identified by his father. Although the precise cause of death is yet to be confirmed, the pathologist noted features consistent with drowning. The hearing was told that Mackenzie's body could be released to his family for funeral arrangements, with a full inquest scheduled for February 16 next year. Ms. Slater expressed her heartfelt condolences to Mackenzie's family during this difficult time.
