A 15-year-old girl tragically drowned after entering the water to retrieve a ball during a family outing to Formby Beach in Merseyside on Bank Holiday Monday, an inquest has heard.
Incident Details
Chiedza Nyanjowa, from Cheshire, was playing volleyball with two cousins at the beach around 3pm on May 25 when the ball went into the sea. She and her 11-year-old cousin attempted to fetch it but were swept away from the shore by a wave.
The inquest at Bootle Town Hall heard that Chiedza could not swim and had been instructed by her aunt to stay out of the water. However, due to the large crowds on the busy Bank Holiday, her aunt lost sight of the children.
Attempted Rescue
As the two youngsters tried to retrieve the ball, a wave pulled them out, with water reaching Chiedza's chin and her cousin's neck. The court heard: "The water depth increased, quickly reaching her cousin's neck and Chiedza's chin. Chiedza was submerged and she tried to climb onto her cousin, submerging her."
Chiedza was told to hold onto the ball as a flotation device while her cousin went for help, but it took 15 minutes for the cousin to get assistance.
Bystander CPR
Three members of the public, including an off-duty doctor and two off-duty nurses, pulled Chiedza from the water unconscious and performed CPR for approximately 25 minutes before an air ambulance arrived. The helicopter landed at 3:35 pm, departed at 4:23 pm, and reached Alder Hey Hospital at 4:33 pm.
Despite medical efforts, Chiedza died in hospital on May 30 due to a brain injury caused by submersion.
Coroner's Comments
Area coroner Ms. Wheeler recorded a verdict of misadventure, stating: "This is the unintended result of a deliberate act of going into the water to retrieve the ball." She offered sincere condolences to the family and commended the bystanders for their efforts, saying they could have "frozen" but instead fought to save the teenager.
Ms. Wheeler also condemned illegal parking on single yellow lines near the beach, which could hinder emergency services, though she noted it did not contribute to Chiedza's death. She decided against a prevention of future death report, citing no one responsible for fixing the parking issues.
