Boy, 15, died trying to save friend in tragic quarry accident

A teenage boy who fell from a quarry died after trying to save his friend from falling, an inquest has heard.

Myron Davies, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene after the incident at Abersychan quarry, near Pontypool, on July 6, 2022.

During the same incident, a 14-year-old girl also fell from the quarry and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, in a critical condition.

An inquest held at Newport Coroner’s court on Wednesday, 19 June, heard how the incident was a “tragic accident” in which Myron reacted to save his friend, who fell from a ledge of the quarry in the moments before he did.

Coroner Caroline Saunders said there was no evidence of third-party involvement despite rumours at the time.

She also concluded there was no evidence to suggest Myron intended to harm himself or end his own life.

Ms Saunders first read the evidence of witness Lloyd Whitelock who saw the incident unfold from a distance in his back garden. Ms Saunders said the evidence needed to be taken with some caution due to limited visibility, however the evidence was key in helping police piece together what happened.

The statement said: “At around 6.30pm something caught my vision... at first it appeared to be one person. The person came from nowhere and walked close to the edge. I continued to watch. At this stage the person stood at the edge of the quarry and appeared tall. I later realised when [they] fell there were two people.”

Mr Whitelock said there was a “slight delay” between the first and second person falling.

He continued: "I was in total shock and called 999. Having processed it properly there were two people and I’m sure they did not jump.”

He added how he had struggled to sleep since witnessing the tragic incident.Ms Saunders next read a police interview with the teenage girl who also fell. She is not being named to protect her identity.

She told officers at the time that she had little recollection of what happened, but had some flashbacks. She said neither she nor Myron went to the quarry with the intention of harming themselves and that Myron seemed “fine” in himself in the lead-up to the incident. She added that the pair had gone there after school as friends to admire the view.

Detective chief inspector Leigh Holborn was called as a witness during the inquest. He stated he did not attend the incident, however had overall responsibility for the incident.

He said investigations revealed how the quarry was a spot frequented by young people who enjoyed the views. He said fencing has since been erected in the area to restrict access.

When Ms Saunders asked what in his view had happened, he said evidence from Mr Whitelock seemed to suggest that one person was “slightly lower than the other”.

He added: “From the description it would have appeared to me that the teenage girl was on a slightly lower ledge, she’s slipped, she’s gone down… and Myron has gone over. A thought process is that the teenage girl has slipped and Myron has gone to try and help her - an automatic reaction when someone trips in front of you.”

He added that the teenage girl’s fall was broken by the quarry and branches, whereas Myron’s likely was not.

He said having spoken to Myron’s family, friends and school, he was a “happy boy” and that “no mental health concerns had been raised”.

He said there was evidence to suggest Myron was looking forward to the future, and that he had charged his laptop ready for school the following day.

He added: “From the messages I have read [between Myron and his friend] there was nothing there to suggest there was a suicide pact.”

Ms Saunders concluded that Myron’s death was caused by “a tragic accident”. She confirmed his medical cause of death as multiple injuries caused by a fall.

She said: “Myron instinctively reacted to save her and in the process fell himself. The edge of the quarry is a dangerous place to be. Children can be blind to these dangers and take more risks than adults.”

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