The family of a "deeply loved" teenage girl who died after being swept out to sea has raised fears that her chances of survival were hampered by "missed opportunities" in the emergency response, an inquest has heard today.
Edie Smart, 13, died on July 28, 2025, four days after getting into difficulty in the water south of Whitley Bay beach, North Tyneside. At the inquest into her death, which resumed at Newcastle Coroners' Court on Monday, a statement from her mother Louise was read aloud to the court on behalf of Edie's family, in which the heartbroken mother paid tribute to her daughter.
The hearing, expected to last five days, also heard testimony from those involved in the efforts to rescue Edie on the afternoon of July 24, 2025.
Her family also took the opportunity to express their gratitude to those who had fought to save her life, including "courageous" lifeguards Nathan Ramsey and Joseph Walker-Hardwick, who braved the water and managed to bring her to a nearby lifeboat despite enormous waves.
During that evidence, HM Coastguard's search mission co-ordinator Rhys Stevens acknowledged that, "with the benefit of hindsight," he might have called an ambulance at an earlier point during the rescue operation. The court also heard details of the attempts to save Edie from what one rescuer described as "the worst possible place for her to be." Ryan Douglas, of HM Coastguard, said the area where she was found saw the sea and rocks combining to create a terrifying "washing machine" effect that made the rescue incredibly challenging.
Senior coroner Georgina Nolan read out Edie's family statement, describing the teenager as "fantastic" and a "deeply-loved addition to our family."
Edie's mother drew attention to what she described as potentially missed opportunities, and said: "We have been confronted with information which suggests there were missed opportunities that may have made a difference to her chance of survival." She described this as "devastating and distressing," with concerns raised over issues including the safety signage at the location, south of Whitley Bay beach, where Edie was swept into the sea by incredibly rough seas.
The inquest will also examine the adequacy of the emergency response and whether delays in communication between different agencies played a role in Edie's death. Prior to the inquest, the coroner ruled that Article 2 of the Human Rights Act was engaged, meaning the inquest must consider whether the risk management systems in place were sufficient to safeguard the right to life.
The family statement also recalled how the teen "had a special way of making everyone she met feel welcome, valued and just that little bit better." Following Edie's passing, the family received an outpouring of loving messages, with Louise adding: "Those messages demonstrated just how much of an impact Edie had made on the lives of others."
Following that earlier hearing, the family's solicitor Gareth Naylor wrote: "Edie's family want to begin by paying tribute to the extraordinary bravery and humanity shown by the lifeguards and volunteers who entered the water and fought desperately to save her life. They placed themselves in significant danger, acting instinctively and selflessly in the face of crashing waves and reflected surf. The family has always made clear that those individuals did everything they could in the circumstances they were placed in, and their courage will forever be remembered with gratitude and respect."
"However, the family's concerns do not lie with the bravery or intentions of those at the scene. Their concerns relate to the systems that were in place and whether those systems were sufficient to protect life."
The coroner heard testimony from Northumbria Police's Detective Sergeant Danielle Grant regarding the police inquiry, which ruled out third-party involvement and included examining the location where Edie was initially swept into the water. The officer also described how bystanders along the Whitley Bay coastline tried to rescue Edie by throwing life buoys towards her, but she was unable to maintain her grip.
HM Coastguard search mission co-ordinator Rhys Stevens, stationed at Bridlington in East Yorkshire on that day, provided evidence. He told the court the discussion between himself and a colleague regarding calling an ambulance occurred after they received further information about Edie's worsening condition in the water, roughly 10 minutes after the initial 999 call was made.
The senior coroner pressed him: "The initial 999 call came in at 20 past four. There's a 13-year-old struggling in the water and she's being smashed about by the waves. Why would an ambulance not be called immediately?"
He responded by noting that his team was under considerable strain, handling numerous calls simultaneously. He acknowledged that operators managing this particular incident "may have contributed to delays in calling the ambulance service." Later, when questioned by the lawyer representing the teen's family, he conceded that "with the benefit of hindsight" he might have called the ambulance sooner.
Peter Dawes, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's general manager for lifeguarding operations, suggested it was standard practice that the lifeguards stationed at Whitley Bay beach had not been immediately dispatched to where Edie was in difficulty. They were ultimately tasked with locating her. The inquest heard how, upon reaching the beach, the RNLI team faced difficulties bringing the "y-boat," a smaller "daughter" lifeboat, ashore due to the treacherous conditions. The inquest is ongoing.
