The parents of a drowned teenage boy outraged by the “poor” police efforts to search for him did not attend an inquest into his death.
An Oxfordshire coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death after hearing how 16-year-old Ellis Downes drowned in the Thames last May. But an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission into the response of Thames Valley police is ongoing, following complaints by his parents.
Delivering his conclusion of accidental death by drowning, assistant coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said: “Ellis reached the other side of the river and he seemed to be cold. It was on that return that he ran into difficulties in the river.
“Two of his friends bravely dived in to save Ellis and one said the water was so cold that he could not breathe. Ellis continued to struggle while they swam towards him. When they were a few feet away he went under the water and it was impossible to retrieve him.”
The boy’s parents, Darren and Emma Downes, were unhappy that the police did not find their son but relied on volunteers who found his body on the river bed on 9 May after a two-day search.
His family subsequently criticised the police force and a senior officer later apologised to the family over the police response and follow-up.
IPCC associate commissioner Guido Liguori, who is overseeing the investigation, said on Tuesday: “Our thoughts remain with Ellis’s family and friends. Our investigation is making good progress and we hope it will help answer the many questions asked about the police response, as well as identifying any lessons which can be learned.”
The teenager, from Harwell, near Didcot, Oxfordshire, disappeared at about 9pm on 7 May 2015 after going for a cooling dip on a warm spring day with his friends. A friend, Aaron Lewis, offered to drive him back to his friends on the other bank, as he appeared tired.
The teenager said he wanted to swim back but began to struggle in the cold river on the return journey and was swept under the water, where he drowned.
The coroner heard that Ellis was seen rolling on to his back as he appeared to be tiring before continuing to swim to the opposite riverbank.
Lewis said in a statement: “When he was over halfway back he looked as if he was struggling, I shouted to him ‘are you okay?’ and there was no reply.”
Brothers Dean and Jack Gunning dived into the river in an attempt to save their friend, but the coroner heard they were not able to reach him in time.
Dean said in a statement that was read by the coroner: “As soon as I went into the water I went numb all over. I could not breathe. Jack was about six to eight feet away from Ellis. He dived under to try to get him and he came up after two seconds and said he could not see him.”
