An inquest has heard that a 13-year-old boy tried to save his friend when he got into difficulty in a river, leading to both their deaths. David Ionut Radut, 14, and Aras Rudzianskas, 13, died after swinging on a rope swing near the River Tyne in Ovingham, near Newcastle, on May 18, 2024.
Panic and rescue attempts
David, who could not swim, let go of the swing too early and landed in a deeper part of the river. He shouted for help, and Aras ran into the water to try to save him. Northumberland Coroner's Court heard that David pushed Aras under the water in his panic, and they both struggled. Another child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, tried to help David by grabbing his arms but had to let go as they felt themselves getting into difficulty and swam back to the bank. Assistant Coroner Paul Dunn said something grabbed their leg, and they were unsure if it was the current or David.
Discovery and medical response
David went under the water and was not seen again. Aras, face down with his arms spread, was taken by the current. A woman paddleboarding in the river found Aras face down. 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, having lost her paddle. Paramedics took over in the water and managed to get Aras's heart beating again, 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.
Search for David
Police from the marine unit searched the river for David, and his body was found on the riverbed at 6:30pm that evening. He was taken by ambulance to the RVI. Detective Sergeant Danielle Grant of Northumbria Police requested that the tree branch with the swing be cut down the next morning, but she told the court: 'I was informed an unknown person has gone down and cut down the entire tree.'
Group of children
David and Aras, both from Newcastle, were part of a group of about 20 children who travelled to Ovingham on May 18, 2024. They had been at the river less than half an hour when the incident happened. The pair were the first to use the swing. DS Grant said: 'Nobody else had got around to having a try because it happened so quickly.' Some children flagged down a bus for help, and police received three calls in quick succession. The first call, at 3:29pm, stated that two mates had jumped into the river and were dead. The caller was so distraught that no further details could be obtained.
Family concerns
David's family asked why they were not notified until 6:50pm. PC Grant told them that police initially did not know which male was which due to similar descriptions and lack of belongings. Coroner Dunn, who also presided over the inquest of Robert Hattersley, 13, who drowned in the same stretch of river in 2022, said: '[That was] another young man killed in different circumstances in the same piece of river. I remember sitting with his family and very much hoping I wouldn't have to have another family, families, in front of me again and here are unfortunately with a similar set of circumstances.' The inquest continues.
