The father of a 15-year-old who drowned in a disused quarry during the May heatwave has told an inquest it remains "not clear" what happened to his son, and that youngsters are still "going in the lake" since his death.
George Cuckoo went swimming with two friends in scorching weather when he got into trouble in the centre of a 65m-long murky lake at around 2.30pm and disappeared beneath the surface in Swanscombe, Kent, on May 27.
Conflicting accounts at inquest
Kent coroner Venessa Holt said George was a "capable" but not strong swimmer who had visited the lake on private land, known as Blue Lake Bamber Pit, on at least two previous occasions. "His friends tried to assist him but he went under the water, they attempted to find him but owing to the muddy water they could not find him," the coroner said.
Emergency services were called after he had been beneath the water for seven minutes, and his body was retrieved several hours later.
Kent Police Detective Inspector Leighton Prior told the inquest that the boys had been at the lake for about five minutes before entering the water, trying to swim across to a rope swing, and that George was swimming slightly ahead of the others. Accounts were taken from the two friends at the scene, but formal statements were not taken afterwards to avoid traumatising them further, the detective said.
Family seeks answers
George's sister and father expressed their confusion in court, citing conflicting reports from the police and ambulance service without further statements from the two boys, leaving them wondering "what did actually happen?".
A statement read out in court from South East Coast Ambulance Service described how the boys were playing near the shore and had swum before George was seen re-entering the water, attempting to swim to the other side. He "shouted in distress and couldn't get any further as friends jumped to try to get to him", the inquest was told. The statement, which the coroner noted was "very different" from the police account, said George removed his trainers and T-shirt but kept his socks and shorts on.
George's father, Simon Cuckoo, stated: "We lost our son, there's two boys with him, there's no clear statements about where they were and how it really happened, we just want to know. Even sitting here today it's not clear what happened." He remembered his son asking for permission to go to the lake prior to the incident, to which he had refused, adding: "I told him what the outcome would be, don't let me come up to the hospital."
Safety concerns raised
The medical cause of death for Gravesend-born George was confirmed as drowning. The inquest was informed that the lake was situated on private land, referred to as Ebbsfleet during the hearing, but Detective Inspector Leighton Prior admitted he was uncertain about the property's ownership.
He believed it was a popular swimming spot in summer, but it was not known to police before this incident. The muddy lake is fenced off, but the fence is "insecure", he told the coroner. The coroner recorded George's death as an accident and is considering writing a prevention of future death report over the security of the lake.
She requested solicitor Anna Burgess, attending the hearing on behalf of the property, to write to her within seven days over what measures are in place, such as warning signs. "I'd like reassurance the lake is secure and whether (there's) any life saving equipment," she said. Mr Cuckoo told the hearing he knows friends whose "sons are still going in the lake". "Even though they know what's gone on they're still going over there," he said.
