A 17-year-old boy drowned at a Lake District tarn after suffering cold water shock while swimming with friends, an inquest heard.
Absi Ahmed Mohammad, from Poulton-le-Fylde, died at High Dam near Windermere on April 7, Cumbria Coroner's Court was told. The coroner described the pain and loss felt by Absi's family as "unimaginable," while recognising it had been a "tragic year for water safety."
Absi is believed to have experienced "cold-induced swim failure." The inquest heard warnings about following open water swimming guidance.
Swim to island ends in tragedy
The teenager was with three friends when he got into difficulty trying to reach an island at the popular swimming location. Recording a conclusion of death by misadventure, senior coroner Kirsty Gomersal urged the public to pay attention to expert warnings about the dangers of outdoor swimming.
The court heard the four 17-year-old boys had made their way to High Dam at Finsthwaite on a "glorious" spring day. A family representative told the inquest that the four "very sensible" boys had meticulously planned their trip and were "super excited" to go for a walk, with the swim acting as a "reward" at the conclusion.
Following a two-hour walk, the group reached the tarn's western shore around midday and set their sights on getting to an island 490ft (150m) away. One boy swiftly turned back after experiencing dizziness, nausea and cold, the inquest heard.
Rescue attempts and safety measures
Another member of the group reached the island safely, while a third was nearly there when they heard Absi calling out for "help." The inquest was told that Absi was not a strong swimmer, had made it roughly halfway to the island, and was "splashing and panicking." The boy who remained in the water attempted to assist him, but was forced to stop as Absi was clutching at him and pulling him beneath the surface.
Coastguard teams, mountain rescue volunteers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics all attended the scene, supported by a local farmer. Absi's body was recovered and he was pronounced dead shortly before 9pm.
Julie Wood, representing the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA), which oversees High Dam, told the inquest that the authority had installed signage and life-saving equipment at "key locations" where members of the public could access the water. A sign at the High Dam car park provided guidance on "being safe and checking for dangers including cold water and knowing limits."
However, she acknowledged that it was "impossible" to place them "everywhere." The tarn had a single emergency throw-line situated at its southern end, which would have been approximately a five-minute walk from where the boys were.
LDNPA ranger Steven Tatlock stated that he had been familiar with the tarn for over 30 years, and that a throw-line had always been positioned at the spot most commonly used by visitors as an entry point for swimming. A safety review will be conducted, involving Absi's family, and the possible installation of a second throw-line on the opposite side of the tarn is being considered, Mr Tatlock confirmed.
He added: "Beautiful as they are, mountains and water do hold risks and knowledge is the best way of managing those risks."
Family calls for better safety
During the inquest, he was described as a "lovely and kind young man" with the "biggest smile." Det Ch Insp Laura Nield, who headed the Cumbria Police investigation, described the incident as a "tragic accident" attributable to "cold water shock" and "drowning."
She stated that his friends could not have done anything further to help him, and that more lives could have been lost had they remained in the water. Despite it being a warm day of around 21C, the water temperature was no higher than 11C.
The coroner called on members of the public to heed open-water swimming guidance, which included not underestimating the stark difference between swimming in a heated indoor pool and in cold open water. To float, individuals are advised to tilt their head back with their ears submerged; relax and attempt to breathe normally; move their hands and feet to assist them in staying afloat; avoid panicking if their legs sink as everyone floats differently; and practise floating in a swimming pool.
Speaking in the wake of the tragedy, Absi's brother Adil, 22, said: "My family doesn't want another parent or family member to lose someone like this. We want to make sure that if someone gets into difficulty in the future – like Absi did – people there have more chance of saving them. His friend tried to save him but couldn't. We want to do all we can to avoid people going through what we are."
Absi's father Basir and mother Sammi revealed they believed their son may have fallen victim to cold water shock — a potentially fatal condition triggered by sudden submersion in cold water, which can severely impair a person's ability to swim as heart rate and blood pressure rise sharply, while the limbs lose heat rapidly as the body attempts to maintain its core temperature.
