A toddler died after falling into a swollen river while on a walk with his two aunts, an inquest has heard.
Xielo Maruziva, who had only recently started nursery, was a few steps ahead of the women when he “disappeared from view” and fell into the River Soar on 18 February 2024.
The incident occurred in the Aylestone Meadows nature reserve, near Marsden Lane, Leicester.
Despite extensive search efforts, Xielo's body was not recovered until nearly four months later, on 6 June.
An inquest into the two-year-old’s death began at the Leicester Coroner’s Court, sitting at the City Hall, on Monday.
Senior coroner Professor Catherine Mason said that the river was "very high" and fast-flowing due to heavy rainfall and flooding in the preceding days.
Xielo’s aunt Nicole Maruziva took him out that day.
She tearfully told the inquest: “I saw Xielo on the side and he took what looked like a step but once he took that step he wasn’t there anymore.
“I ran to the point in which he turned and I looked down and that’s when I saw that it opened up into water.”
The jury heard that the bridge has a waist-height wall on both sides and it is not clear to pedestrians where the bridge ends.
Ms Maruziva continued: “So I jumped into the water.
“I was just using my arms to try to find him.
“As soon as I got in, the water was up to my chest so it was deep water and I was trying to find him with my arms but I could not feel anything in the water.
“I started shouting that I needed help and I was shouting ‘there’s a baby in the water’.”
Ms Maruziva said a current “quickly” swept her under, adding that she was trying to grab “his arm or his leg or something”.
She told the inquest she does not know how to swim but she just “needed to get him”.
The court was told that the area is a designated flood plain, but does not have signage warning walkers that the water level might be high.
On body-worn camera footage, one of Xielo’s aunts can be heard telling an officer that she thought he “slipped”.
Detective Inspector Kevin Hames, of Leicestershire Police, told the inquest that CCTV footage of the area showed Xielo in his aunts’ arms before he appeared to “run off”.
Xielo’s great-aunt Memory Maruziva, who did not live in Leicester but was visiting her family, said the boy was walking “perfectly fine” and they carried him for some parts of the journey.
The inquest heard that they were not using reins or a pushchair.
Ms Maruziva, who was not familiar with the area they walked in, said that if a cyclist or dog walker approached they would pick him up and “make sure he’s secure”.
She added that when Xielo was walking, he was a “few steps ahead of us but not very far” and he was “always” in their eyesight.
The inquest heard that Xielo’s aunts took pictures with him in their arms on a bridge before he went into the water.
Xielo was spending the weekend at his father Bradley Maruziva’s home when his aunts took him for the walk, the inquest heard.
Mr Maruziva told the jury that his mother told him that his sister and son were in the water, before he went to the scene and also jumped in to try to save the boy.
The father was hypothermic after being in the water, the inquest heard.
Forensic pathologist Dr Frances Hollingbury told the jury her opinion is that Xielo died as a result of the effects of being immersed in water.
Xielo’s mother Kayela Smith, who had the boy when she was 19 years old, read a statement which said he was becoming more “independent, curious and adventurous”.
She said: “The day he was born was the best day of my life.
“He had the biggest personality for such a small little boy.
“He was my best friend, my soul twin and my whole world.
“Even though our time together was short, the love we shared will last forever.”
Mr Maruziva, the boy’s father, wrote a statement which said: “In the time I was with him I was already so proud of him and proud to be his dad.
“Our energy matched and he made me like a big kid again.
“He was fearless and loved going to talk to dogs in the park to stroke them.
“We all miss Xielo so much.
“Not a day goes by when I don’t think of him.”
The inquest, which is expected to last five days, continues.
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