A 13-year-old boy drowned after entering the River Tyne to rescue his 14-year-old friend, who had fallen from a rope swing and could not swim, an inquest has heard. David Ionut Radut, 14, and Aras Rudzianskas, 13, died in the incident at Ovingham, Northumberland, on May 18, 2024.
Details of the Incident
Northumberland Coroner's Court was told that David, who could not swim, let go of the rope swing too early and landed in a deeper part of the river. He began struggling and shouted for help. Aras ran into the water to try to save him. In his panic, David pushed Aras under the water, and both boys struggled together.
Another child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, attempted to help David by grabbing his arms but had to let go after feeling themselves getting into difficulty. They swam back to the riverbank. Assistant Coroner Paul Dunn said something grabbed their leg, and they were unsure if it was the current or David.
Rescue Attempts
David went under the water and was not seen again. Aras was found face down in the water with his arms spread, taken by the current. Fiona Matthews, who was paddleboarding on the river, discovered Aras. She said: 'I pulled him under the arms and used his shorts to try and get him out of the water. I think the adrenaline kicked in.' She turned him over, pulled him onto her paddleboard, and began chest compressions while paddling to the bank with her hands after losing her paddle.
Paramedics took over in the water and managed to restart Aras's heart, but he could not breathe on his own. He was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle, where he died three days later. David's body was found on the riverbed at 6:30pm that evening and taken to the RVI.
Investigation and Community Response
Detective Sergeant Danielle Grant of Northumbria Police requested the tree branch with the swing be cut down the next morning, but an unknown person had already cut down the entire tree. The court heard that David and Aras, both from Newcastle, were part of a group of about 20 children who traveled to Ovingham. They had been at the river less than half an hour when the tragedy occurred. DS Grant said: 'Nobody else had got around to having a try because it happened so quickly.'
Children flagged down a bus for help, and police received three calls in quick succession. Ben Corlett, who was in the area, told the inquest: 'There was a lot of panic, a lot of hysteria, crying and shouting.' The first call at 3:29pm reported two mates had jumped into the river and were dead. A second call at 3:31pm from a bus passenger reported a drowning. A third call at 3:35pm said two males had drowned, with one struggling and the other going to help.
Family Concerns
David's family questioned why they were not notified until 6:50pm. PC Grant explained that police initially could not identify the boys as descriptions were similar and they had no belongings. Coroner Dunn noted that he had previously presided over the inquest of Robert Hattersley, 13, who drowned in the same stretch of river in 2022. He said: 'I dealt with the inquest of Robert Hattersley... I remember sitting with his family and very much hoping I wouldn't have to have another family, families, in front of me again.'
The inquest continues. The Mirror's 'Save Lives For Sam' water safety campaign calls for compulsory water safety lessons in schools and other measures to tackle the UK's drowning crisis.
