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Wales Online
21-05-2025
- Wales Online
'More could die' at Welsh beach where boy drowned coroner fears
'More could die' at Welsh beach where boy drowned coroner fears Having a lifeguard on duty could have deterred David Ejimofor, 15, from jumping into the water from the pier at Aberavon, an inquest heard today David Ejimofor died on Monday, June 19, 2023 after he'd jumped from the high pier alongside friends at Aberavon beach in Port Talbot (Image: South Wales Police ) A coroner has told an inquest into the death of a 15-year-old who died at a Welsh beach that he is concerned similarly fatal incidents could happen without intervention. David Ejimofor, 15, died on June 19, 2023, after jumping into the water at Aberavon's small beach from the pier while celebrating the end of exam season. The court heard people often use the pier to jump into the sea even though the pier should not be used for that purpose. And despite the pier being known to be used as a de facto diving platform the little beach is still not manned by a lifeguard even in warm months which coroner Edward Ramsay has been critical of during the three-day inquest at Swansea Coroners' Court. David, a St Joseph's Comprehensive School pupil, had been visibly anxious and nervous and had previously googled terms which showed he was a novice swimmer, but he jumped into the water after his friends who were also jumping in from the pier had encouraged him to do so. A gifted weightlifter and track athlete, David was not a typical 15-year-old and was far too heavy for his friends who could not keep him afloat. He sank to the bottom of the seabed and was submerged in the water, emergency services believe, for up to 10 minutes. You can get more story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here. Despite the best efforts of members of the public, including paddleboarder and off-duty police officer Tyler Rowland who rescued him from the seabed and instructed his friends to help swim him back to shore with the help of a life ring which had been thrown from the pier, David was pronounced dead at the beach. A post mortem examination conducted by Dr John Williams found he'd died of drowning. Article continues below A popular member of his community and a supremely talented young man, David is missed by many (Image: John Myers ) Mr Ramsay told the final day of the inquest: 'David was reassured he would be okay, but I make no criticism of David's friends. There is no basis for me to do so. Data extracted from David's mobile phone shows he was anticipating swimming that day at the location of the little beach. 'On entering the water he sadly found himself in immediate difficulty. His swimming ability was not good and there may also have been an element of cold water shock as panic ensued. 'I find it too speculative to say David could have been rescued by a lifeguard after entering the water. The point is he shouldn't have been able to jump from the pier or the breakwater in the first place. The news of David's death rocked the local school community in Port Talbot in 2023 (Image: John Myers ) 'There was a lack of effective deterrence on the day preventing David and his friends from using the pier or breakwater in a way it was not designed for. There was no barrier, there was inadequate signage, there was no lifeguard present. 'If there had been a lifeguard stationed there for the purpose of preventing people jumping into the water from the breakwater it is possible that would have prevented David from doing so. He was already cautious about doing so.' The RNLI has documented in its own assessments of the little beach at Aberavon that they have had to speak to youngsters who jump off the pier into the water. And the court heard the issues at the beach still exist today. The inquest had heard from the RNLI's regional lead for Wales and the west Peter Rooney who confirmed the little beach at Aberavon still isn't manned by lifeguards even though it has been historically. Since David's death the owner of the pier Associated British Holdings Ltd has installed a gate with the intention of preventing people from accessing the pier for the purposes of jumping into the water, but on a site visit Mr Rooney said it was easy for most people to climb over the gate. He painted a picture of members of the public effectively being able to do what they like despite the potential risk to life, and explained the RNLI would need to increase its resources significantly if they were expected to regularly post lifeguards there. The coroner said he was sufficiently worried enough to write a prevention of future deaths report which will be made public soon. David's parents Alex and Maria Ejimofor visiting tributes that were left for their son at Aberavon beach (Image: John Myers ) Following David's death Neath Port Talbot council asked the RNLI to conduct a risk assessment of the beach. The assessment which is used by the RNLI across the country measured in-water population, strength of the tide and the number of conflicting activities at the small beach and concluded there was a low to medium risk which did not require a lifeguard at that point. Mr Ramsay had questioned whether the fact David died at the beach and that other youngsters often use the pier to jump into the water should be evidence enough the risk was higher. On Wednesday in his summing up of the inquest he said: 'Proper consideration of lifeguard attendance has been lacking and a lifeguard should probably have been there at the time of David's death. 'I haven't been provided with a satisfactory explanation for the issues raised regarding the concerns about the absence of lifeguards at the pier after 6pm. The reasoning this is not in place is almost entirely absent in my judgement.' The family of David Ejimofor, who died after getting into difficulty in the water at Aberavon Beach, near Port Talbot, visiting foral tributes and messages of support (Image: John Myers ) The coroner recorded a formal conclusion of misadventure. He summed up: 'At 20.05 on June 19, 2023 at the little beach in Aberavon, David Ejimofor died having drowned after jumping into the sea from the breakwater to which he had effectively unrestricted and undeterred access. 'The breakwater should not have been used for that purpose but was known to have been used by local children and teenagers, especially when the weather was good. In the past lifeguards have been stationed at or around the pier to deter this activity. But no lifeguard was present at the time that David jumped. Had there been one it is possible he would not have jumped and therefore would not have drowned.' Mr Ramsay added 'David was a treasured son, brother, grandson, cousin and friend' and praised the actions of members of the public and the emergency services who did everything they could to try to save him. In a statement issued after the hearing an RNLI spokesperson said: "Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of David. As a charity, we exist to prevent drowning so that nobody suffers the devastating loss of a loved one in this way. "This tragic incident happened on private land. The RNLI works with landowners and councils to provide lifeguard patrols when they are requested by the landowners and have explicit permission to do so. Providing lifeguard cover is one of a range of safety measures a landowner or council can implement to mitigate risk. "Other measures such as permanent signage or beach safety education are important as lifeguards cannot be everywhere all of the time. This is why the RNLI invests in sharing water safety advice with the public, so people have the information they need to keep themselves safe. "The RNLI works closely with councils and landowners to determine when the charity will provide lifeguard patrols. RNLI lifeguard patrols routinely operate between the hours of 10am-6pm, because this is the time period which incident data tells us is the busiest and highest risk period." Article continues below
Sky News
21-05-2025
- Sky News
Boy, 15, drowned after jumping off pier in South Wales, coroner concludes
A 15-year-old boy died from drowning after jumping off a pier in South Wales, a coroner has concluded. David Chiaka Ejimofor died on 19 June 2023 after jumping into the sea from the breakwater in Aberavon, Neath Port Talbot, shortly after 7pm. Coroner Edward Ramsay said there had been a "lack of effective deterrents on the day in question" to prevent David from jumping in. "I have no idea if he saw the signage stating no access," the coroner said. "Secondly, even if he did, there was no physical barrier deterring entry." Mr Ramsay said that had a lifeguard been on duty at the time, it was possible David "would not have jumped and therefore not have drowned". David had received swimming lessons in the past, the inquest heard, and his mother Maria Ejimofor described him as a "cautious" swimmer. Internet searches on David's phone suggested he was "anticipating going swimming later that day" but he had expressed "some caution about jumping", the inquest heard. Mr Ramsay said the breakwater "should not have been used" for jumping into the sea but there was "effectively unrestricted and undeterred access". 1:10 Upon entering the water, David "very sadly found himself in immediate difficulty", the coroner said. "This was because whilst he had swam, and could swim, his swimming ability was not good," he added. Despite the "frantic efforts" of David's friends, his swimming ability "was not sufficient to keep him afloat", Mr Ramsay said. The coroner formally recognised the efforts of paddleboarding off-duty police officer Tyler Rowland, who helped get David to shore, and the members of the public who delivered CPR. Despite their efforts, and that of the emergency services, David was declared dead at the scene at 8.05pm. Mr Ramsay expressed his sympathy to David's family and said he would issue a prevention of future deaths report at a later date.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- BBC News
Aberavon pier jump: Lifeguard could have deterred teen, inquest says
Having a lifeguard on duty could have stopped a teenager dying at a south Wales beach, a coroner has Ejimofor, 15, died at Aberavon beach, Neath Port Talbot on 19 June 2023, after jumping into the sea with friends while celebrating the end of their coroner, Ed Ramsay, said if a lifeguard was working "it is possible that David would not have jumped into water and would not have drowned".He also found there were not enough deterrents, such as barriers and signage, on the pier to prevent the death. Mr Ramsay said there was evidence that a "lifeguard on breakwater had worked in the past".On Tuesday, the court heard the lifeguard services finished at 18:00 BST that inquest found David jumped into the sea at about 19:00 and drowned within Ramsay said David's swimming ability "would have been a factor" too as well as the possible element of cold-water shock and mother, Maria Ejimofor, had previously said he had swimming lessons as a child but was not confident in the off-duty police officer who was paddleboarding arrived within two minutes of his disappearance under the water and helped recover the body from the coroner said David's size "made rescue efforts difficult" as he was a big and tall 15-year-old. The family maintained that signage on the pier was an issue - even though there was one sign warning of the dangers at the Mansell, representing the family, said David did not see this because he entered the breakwater further down the beach from the inquest heard better signage has been put up since David's Mansell said the presence of a lifeguard on the pier would have led to a "very different outcome for David".A prevention of future deaths report will also be published by the assistant coroner.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Friends were pulled underwater as they desperately tried to stop bodybuilder teenager drowning after he jumped off pier, inquest told
Two friends were pulled underwater as they desperately tried to stop their friend from drowning after he jumped in to the sea as part of an end of exam celebration, an inquest as heard. Despite their best efforts to save him David Ejimofor, 15, tragically died at Aberavon beach, Neath port Talbot, on Monday, June 19, 2023. The hearing at Swansea Coroners' Court heard that David had told his friends he was not a confident swimmer just before attempting the stunt but his friends encouraged him to jump in anyway. Swansea University pathologist Dr Williams noted that the promising bodybuilder was told by his pals that they would help him if he found himself struggling to swim. As soon as David jumped in he began thrashing around in panic and two of his school friends tried to keep him afloat but were pulled underwater themselves. Dr Williams told the hearing: 'Witnesses say all males except for David were completing a series of jumps from the pier. 'Two of the males shouted to David join them and he said he wasn't a good swimmer. 'They explained they would help him. When David jumped into the water they began to assist him and they were being pulled below water.' The sport star and TikToker was heavier than a typical 15-year-old and had a bodybuilder's diet. The inquest heard that witnesses noted that the teenagers who had tried to keep David afloat were physically 'exhausted'. One eyewitness, fisherman Luke McDonald said he watched as David's friend egged him on to jump in and believed he was safe and supported by the other teens. He said: 'I saw thrashing around a bit. I saw some others grab him and keep him afloat. He looked like he had support. I turned back to my fishing rod. I then heard them say they couldn't see him. I heard someone shout: 'I can't see Dave.' The terrifying scenes were quickly noted by those on the beach and pier who tried to help the struggling school pupils by diving in and throwing a life ring over to the group. Tyler Rowland, an off-duty police officer at the beach who was paddleboarding at the time, told the court he heard several of the seven teenagers return to the beach in panic. DC Rowland said: 'I remember hearing one of them say: "He's gone." I paddled towards them and some of them told me someone had gone under the water and hadn't come up. 'Two or three of the boys, aged around 15 and 16, were in the water and were shaken up and treading water. One of them said something like: 'He's a big boy and he can't swim.' They were in real panic. A teenage girl was screaming at them, "Look for him, look for him."' The inquest heard that the police officer dived several times searching for David's body before eventually finding it in the murky water. He said: 'I dived down and was searching the floor with my hands. It was completely dark and I couldn't see anything. My hands hit what I thought was a rock at first. I then was convinced it was the top of an arm. I was on the sea floor at this point and the male was flat on the seabed. DC Roland then described placing the life ring over schoolboy's head and swimming with him to shore alongside his exhausted school friends. He told the inquest: 'We put the ring over his head and put his arms out of the ring either side. He was completely limp and kept sliding out of the ring. He was motionless. 'I told the boys: "Grab the ring and swim as far as you can." They were exhausted.' Paramedic Barry Edwards said according to witness reports David had been under the water for 10 minutes. He said two shocks were administered using the defibrillator and advanced life support was provided at the scene before the bodybuilder was pronounced dead at 8.05pm. The paramedic was helped to carry the body to shore by nurse Amy Saunders who was at the beach and described 'never experiencing trauma like it' as she worked with the emergency services. Teachers at his St Joseph's Catholic School in Port Talbot said it was 'deeply saddened' by the 'tragic and unexpected passing away' of one its pupils. David's mother Maria Ejimofor said her son was superfit - and won athletics competitions, was a keen weightlifter and made TikTok tutorials on social media. She described her son as 'beautiful young boy,' who was 'bright and sporty'. His mother's statement said he 'achieved so much in his 15 years' and had aspirations to become a doctor. Mrs Ejimofor told the court her son wasn't a strong swimmer and she and her family were 'shocked' to hear he had jumped into the water from the pier. She said he was able to swim after having lessons as a child but he was not confident in the water. The heartbroken mother added that he often went to the beach a mile from his home because his family lived close by but was always cautious of the sea. 'I never saw him paddle further than up to his knees or thighs. He was not a risk-taker. He would not put his head in the open water. He was fully aware that he was not the strongest of swimmers. He was particularly cautious around open water,' she said. Paying tribute to David she said he was a 'bright and curious soul who always had a smile on his face'. She added: 'He was honest, caring, intelligent, polite, independent, hardworking, full of life, respectful, and a beautiful young boy who had achieved so much in his 15 years. 'David was a beacon of positivity and resilience. He brought joy and laughter and his memory will remain in the hearts of those fortunate to have known him. His spirit inspires us to find strength in the most difficult moments.'
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Wales Online
Coroner 'very concerned' at lack of safety measures at Welsh beach where boy died
Coroner 'very concerned' at lack of safety measures at Welsh beach where boy died The coroner has questioned why more is not being done to prevent future incidents after David Ejimofor died after jumping into the water from a pier at Aberavon which is hidden out of sight and still remains without lifeguards Tributes which were left for David Ejimofor who died at Aberavon's small beach in June 2023 (Image: John Myers ) A coroner has criticised a safety and risk approach to a Welsh beach where a 15-year-old boy died. David Ejimofor died on Monday, June 19, 2023 after he'd jumped from the high pier, also known as the breakwater, alongside friends at Aberavon beach in Port Talbot who had been encouraging him to jump into the water that evening at around 7pm. David could not swim well and sank to the bottom of the seabed despite the best efforts of friends to keep him afloat. According to emergency services the boy, who had visited the beach with friends to celebrate the end of exam season, might have spent up to 10 minutes submerged in the water before he was pronounced dead shortly after 8pm despite the best efforts of members of the public and emergency services. The first day of the inquest heard David had Googled terms which suggested he was a swimming novice and he was clearly anxious and nervous about jumping from the pier into the water. According to witness evidence obtained by South Wales Police some of his friends had counted down to zero before jumping in and had then encouraged David to jump, telling him the water wasn't that deep. The second day of an inquest at Swansea Coroners' Court heard how the beach where David died continues to be marked by the RNLI and the local authority as of low-to-medium risk despite people still being allowed to run up and down the pier and jump into the water from height. The court heard that the current problem is that lifeguards do not man the small beach where the pier is situated and do not have a good view of the pier from their position on Aberavon's large beach further west, while teens and even children can easily climb over the gate installed by pier owner Associated British Port Holdings Ltd (ABP) at the pier. On Tuesday morning coroner Edward Ramsay told Peter Rooney, regional lifeguard lead for the RNLI in the west and Wales, that the coroner's duty is to consider prevention of future deaths. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council pays the RNLI to operate a lifeguard service in the area on behalf of the council. Article continues below David Ejimofor died on Monday, June 19, 2023 after he'd jumped from the high pier alongside friends at Aberavon beach in Port Talbot (Image: South Wales Police ) The court heard the RNLI and the council have jointly decided the small beach in Aberavon does not currently need to be manned by lifeguards. Mr Rooney explained this decision was arrived at via a health and safety risk assessment drawn up by the University of Plymouth and used across the country which focuses on things like the number of people who go in the water on average and the strength of the tide. He explained: 'We cover the main Aberavon beach between the red and yellow flags. That's the primary area. The secondary area is outside the flags where we do roving patrols. We then have the tertiary area, which is normally located out of the line of sight which we don't patrol unless specifically requested to do so.' The court heard that the pier where David jumped from was in the tertiary area and no lifeguard would have been present. Mr Rooney confirmed at the time of David's death that the system was in place and it remains in place now. He explained where David died at the pier would be a 'significant area of travel' from where the RNLI would ordinarily be situated at the main beach. 'My guess would be half a mile at least,' he told Mr Ramsay. Mr Ramsay asked Mr Rooney: 'Was it known at the time of David's death that the pier at the small beach was being used as a potential means of jumping into the water?' Mr Rooney responded: 'It isn't an area we monitor regularly. We don't regularly monitor, patrol or review that area.' The family of David Ejimofor, who died after getting into difficulty in the water at Aberavon Beach, near Port Talbot visiting this site to look up Floral Tributes that have been left for their son (Image: John Myers ) Mr Rooney said on a recent site visit to the pier in Aberavon he saw people walking up and down it despite a locked gate which should prevent access but is so low people can easily climb over it and walk right to the edge. If people wanted to they could still jump in, Mr Rooney said. Mr Ramsay asked: 'Because it's a breakwater there is some calmer water there isn't there?' Mr Rooney agreed that was the case but said: 'It isn't anywhere near as popular as the main beach in Aberavon.' Mr Ramsay asked: 'Why hasn't the RNLI risk-assessed this and thought: 'In the summer months why don't we put a lifeguard there to cover people who might be using the breakwater inappropriately?'' Mr Rooney explained how since David's death the council has requested the RNLI run its own risk assessment on the small beach at Aberavon around the pier. He explained the RNLI academic risk assessment identifies hazards such as size of the tide, potential in-water population, conflicting activities and more. From that assessment a risk rating score is issued which determines the risk to users of the small beach at Aberavon is currently of low-to-medium risk. He said off the back of that the council and the RNLI jointly decided to continue to monitor the in-water population and provision of a lifeguard service at the beach would continue to be considered. As it stands the beach is still not manned by a lifeguard. Mr Ramsay said: 'You've got a breakwater there which is still being used. If people were to jump off it there is a risk. It isn't closed to all access. If someone jumps off it to the east, from a lifeguard's position at the main beach the lifeguard wouldn't be able to see them. You've got people paddleboarding to the east of that breakwater who you can't see with your binoculars. I'm struggling with this.' A popular member of his community and a supremely talented young man, David is missed by many (Image: John Myers ) Mr Rooney said: 'There are many beaches in Wales which are extremely busy beaches with a lot of activity which are not lifeguarded. Our operations have to stop somewhere. At certain points it becomes unsafe. There comes a point where our operations can't continue to go further and further without support. We would have to provide a significant increase in resources to that area to lifeguard that section properly.' Mr Ramsay asked: 'Can the RNLI write to ABP to say: 'You've really got to put higher gates on this thing?'" Mr Rooney said the RNLI works with the council to regularly review the beach including the pier in order to better understand the risk posed to people. Mr Ramsay asked: 'Isn't teenagers running up and down the breakwater and jumping off it all you need to see? What would make it any higher in risk?' Mr Rooney said: 'In-water population, size of the tide, style of beach. As the population increases the risk rating increases.' Why we cover inquests – and why it's so important that we do As painful as these proceedings are for those who have lost a loved one the lessons that can be learned from inquests can go a long way to saving others' lives. The press has a legal right to attend inquests and has a responsibility to report on them as part of their duty to uphold the principle of open justice. It's a journalist's duty to make sure the public understands the reasons why someone has died and to make sure their deaths are not kept secret. An inquest report can also clear up any rumours or suspicion surrounding a person's death. But, most importantly of all, an inquest report can draw attention to circumstances which may stop further deaths from happening. Should journalists shy away from attending inquests then an entire arm of the judicial system is not held to account. Inquests can often prompt a wider discussion on serious issues, the most recent of these being mental health and suicide. Editors actively ask and encourage reporters to speak to the family and friends of a person who is the subject of an inquest. Their contributions help us create a clearer picture of the person who died and also provides the opportunity to pay tribute to their loved one. Often families do not wish to speak to the press and of course that decision has to be respected. However, as has been seen by many powerful media campaigns, the input of a person's family and friends can make all the difference in helping to save others. Without the attendance of the press at inquests questions will remain unanswered and lives will be lost. Article continues below Mr Ramsay responded: 'That seems to me to be quite a formulaic way of approaching the risk because the risk in this case seems to me to be the presence of the breakwater. The fact you can't see the other side of it from where you're located and the fact that we're here, to put it bluntly, after a young man lost his life. What else does the RNLI need to know? I'm very concerned in my role here. What if someone else drowns here this year?' Mr Rooney said: 'There is a risk inherent in every open environment. Trying to mitigate every risk is difficult.' Mr Ramsay replied: 'Of course, but it seems to me that going into the water from the beach, I presume, represents less of a risk than jumping into the water from a height into a depth of water you're unable to ascertain.' Mr Rooney replied: 'Yes sir.' The inquest continues.
