Inquest opens into death of second teenage boy in River Eden

An inquest has opened into the death of a second teenage boy in the river Eden in Carlisle.

Four friends got into difficulty in the river near the end of Warwick Road close to the M6 motorway on Friday 26 May.

One of the boys managed to reach the shore while a member of the public attempted to rescue two others. A fourth boy, 15-year-old Lewis Kirkpatrick did not emerge from the water and was found 18 hours later to have died after a search and rescue operation.

Jaden Doyle, 14, also died on 15 June at Carlisle's Eden Valley Hospice having spent time in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

An inquest into his death was opened this morning at Cockermouth Coroners’ Court by Dr Nicholas Shaw, assistant coroner for Cumbria.

Jaden's mother Mel described him as “so funny, quick-witted and very caring with such a good heart”. “He will be missed every single day by his family and his friends. He had such good friends,” she said.

Outlining some brief circumstances into the incident, Dr Shaw said: “Jaden was playing in the water with other friends when they got into difficulty. A member of the public called emergency services and her partner went into the water to help the boys out.

“Unfortunately, even though Jaden was taken from the water and airlifted by ambulance to the Royal Victoria Infirmary at Newcastle, treatment ultimately was unsuccessful and he was found to have suffered from severe brain damage due to his period of immersion.”

Jaden had then been returned to Cumbria.

Dr Shaw adjourned the inquest to a provisional resumption date of 28th November.

An inquest into Lewis’s death was opened last month by a coroner who urged everybody going into open water, particularly in hot weather, to be cautious and aware of dangerous steep drops in banking away from the shore.

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