The inquest into the death of Jordan Banks has heard how his stepdad knew “he’s gone” after seeing him tragically struck by lightning.
The nine-year-old was enjoying a private coaching session in Blackpool on May 11th before he was fatally struck.
Daniel Begg, Jordan’s stepdad, was watching the session from his car before the lightning hit.
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Coroner Alan Wilson said: “He [Mr Begg] sadly reports he saw lightning hit Jordan and he fell to the ground straight away.”
Emma Gleeson was nearby with her son who was waiting for training when she saw Jordan get struck and she immediately dialled 999.
In a statement, Ms Gleeson said she saw the little boy immediately fall to the floor, before stepdad Mr Begg rushed out of his car to the boy’s aide.
She said: “Daniel clearly was thinking the same thing I was thinking and was saying: “He’s gone, he’s gone.”
Jordan’s coach, Daniel Stenton, said in a witness statement they had decided to finish training after the weather had suddenly changed during the final 10 minutes of the session.
Recalling the harrowing moment, Mr Stenton said: “All of a sudden I felt something. I can’t begin to explain it but it made me put my hands on my head.”
Paramedics arrived on scene at 5.01pm and described how Mr Begg was crouched over Jordan shouting: “He’s not breathing.”
Jordan was rushed to Blackpool Victoria hospital at around 5.30pm but was sadly pronounced dead at 5.55pm.
Dr Kate Goldberg, Consultant Paediatrician, said: “The death was due to cardiac arrest following a direct lightning strike.”
The coroner said: “All evidence indicates that once Jordan had been struck by lightning this was effectively going to be unsurvivable.
“This was an extremely rare occurrence.
“Although the weather had changed, it had changed very quickly and there appears to be no obvious reason why Jordan was struck by lightning.”
Footballers and MPs were among those who paid tribute to the young Liverpool fan following his death, with the Liverpool team wearing shirts with his name on to warm up for a match against Manchester United.
Lancashire police have also named one of their horses ‘Banks’ after the youngster.
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