A schoolboy was found dead by his mum after not returning home from playing football, an inquest opening has heard. Harley Whittle, 15, died at Fairfield General Hospital in Bury on July 8 this month.
An inquest opened into Harley's death at Rochdale Coroners' Court this morning (July 19). Police Coroner's Officer, Jane Scullion, told the court that after school on July 8 Harley had gone out with friends to play football. He was due home, on Valley View, Bury, at 10pm, but when he did not arrive home by 10.30pm his mum went looking for him.
PCO Scullion said that she knew he was nearby as she used a 'tracking device' to find his phone. She went to woodland near to Valley View and found him unresponsive, the court heard.
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She took him to Fairfield General Hospital but he was tragically pronounced dead a short time later. PCO Scullion confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding Harley's death. No further details were given surrounding the cause of the teenager's death.
Senior Coroner Michael Salt, described this as an 'unexpected death', and listed the next hearing for November 15. Mr Salt also told the court this was a 'tragic death'.
Harley was a pupil at St Gabriel's RC High School. Chris Foley, catholic senior executive leader for the St Teresa of Calcutta Catholic Academy Trust, told the Manchester Evening News at the time "The school and wider community, are all devastated by this loss. Over the coming days and weeks our priority is to come together as a community so that we can start to grieve and heal after this tragedy. We will, of course, also be offering any support we can to the family and the pupils within our schools.
"When the time is right, our community will find suitable ways to commemorate this life. We will feel this loss more keenly as each day passes, so we ask for privacy, compassion and prayers over the coming weeks."
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