Teenager died in river after playing with friends, inquest hears
A 15-year-old girl was found dead in a river by fire officers hours after entering the water, an inquest opening has heard.
Holli Smallman, from Welshpool, had been playing with friends on the afternoon of Friday, 9 August, when she entered the River Severn near the Leighton Arches camping and caravan site near the village of Leighton.
Eyewitnesses called Dyfed-Powys Police after Holli entered the water at 4.40pm that day.
A multi-agency effort to find Holli began immediately but ended hours later when the teenager was found downriver by specially-trained fire officers.
An inquest opening at Pontypridd on Tuesday, 20 August, heard how Holli was identified by her family on Saturday, 10 August.
Pathologist Dr Barlow, based at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, determined that Holli’s medical cause of death needed further investigation.
Area coroner for south Wales central Patricia Morgan told the hearing that she had to adjourn the inquest until a later date for further investigations to take place.
She added: “I would like to express my condolences to the family of Holli Smallman during this tragic time.”
In a statement in the days after Holli’s death, her family described her as a “loving and caring” girl and said their “hearts and minds” were with Holli's friends who were with her “that tragic day”.
In a statement via Dyfed-Powys Police, Holli’s family said: "Holli has been taken from us at far too young an age.
"She had her whole life ahead of her and there will be a hole in our lives that will never heal and we will never forget the amazing person that Holli was.
"She loved her family and she loved her friends and showed that every day.
"We are all so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and kindness shown to us as a family and we thank you all for the messages and gestures made to us from everyone in the community.
"We have seen your messages which have meant so much to us. We also have in our hearts and minds the friends who were with Holli that tragic day.
"The support and compassion shown to us from the community, we extend to them in this unimaginable time, and they are all in our thoughts.
"We also want to express our heartfelt thank you to all of the emergency services and rescue teams who did all they could to help Holli on that evening and the NHS staff at Telford who have been so supportive."
The family also warned of the dangers of open water. They said "we are so heartbroken and would never want any other family to go through the pain that we are going through.
"The dangers of water have been brought home in a way that no one can imagine and we plead with children and parents to take the upmost care when near open water.
"We respectfully ask as a family for time and privacy as we come to deal with the loss of our dear and beautiful Holli.”
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