Boy, 14, who couldn't swim drowned trying to save friends, inquest hears

Boy, 14, who couldn't swim drowned trying to save friends, inquest hears 14-year-old Baltazar Da Costa went to the aid of two of his friends after they got into difficulty in the river, despite being unable to swim himself, an inquest heard A 14-year-old boy drowned after trying to help two friends who got into difficulty in the water, an inquest has heard. Baltazar Da Costa had been spending time with a group of friends near Donnington Bridge when the tragedy unfolded on May 27. Oxford Coroner’s Court heard the teenager, who could not swim, had been among youngsters playing with a ball in the river when it drifted into deeper water. Two girls went after it and began struggling, prompting Baltazar to try to help before he disappeared beneath the surface. The youngster, who was born in Timor-Leste and lived in Stanford in the Vale, Oxfordshire, was among at least 11 people who died in water-related incidents during the heatwave at the end of May. Thames Valley Police was called to the river near Donnington Bridge, Oxford, at around 5.30pm. The inquest heard Baltazar had been wearing a buoyancy aid earlier that day. A witness had been sitting on the riverbank with his girlfriend when he realised the group was in trouble. He jumped into the water and managed to help some of the children to safety before being told somebody was still missing. He said in a written statement: “One of the girls told me there was one more. I looked around and couldn’t see anyone else in the water. It was very dark and visibility was extremely poor.” Despite describing himself as a “strong swimmer”, Jaydan said he was shocked by how quickly the water exhausted him and felt as though he had “weights” on his feet. His girlfriend said the pair had initially seen children splashing around before hearing shouting and screaming at around 5pm. She said: “I saw one remaining child come briefly to the surface before they disappeared under the water again.” Baltazar was found beneath the water shortly after 6pm. Paramedics spent more than an hour trying to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. In the days that followed, members of the community gathered to light candles in memory of the teenager. Coroner Darren Salter recorded a conclusion of accidental death. He told Baltazar’s parents: “I know there’s little I can say that will offer any comfort, but I’d like to offer my condolences, and I know you have the support of wider family and the wider community, and I hope this will help at this sad and difficult time.” The stretch of water near Donnington Bridge had previously been the focus of a safety campaign by Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and the Royal Life Saving Society. In 2012, 15-year-old Mohammed Hussain died after jumping from the bridge into the river. Three years later, 13-year-old Aown Dogar drowned at the same site after entering waist-deep water and being taken out of his depth by a ledge in the river. Baltazar’s inquest comes after another devastating summer around Britain’s waterways, with the Mirror tracking more than 50 deaths linked to incidents in open water in recent months. The Mirror launched its Save Lives for Sam campaign following a spate of drownings in May, calling for tougher safety measures at high-risk waters and better water-safety education in schools. Inspired by 16-year-old Sam Haycock, who drowned in 2021, the campaign is pushing for a Sam’s Law to make lifesaving equipment mandatory near dangerous stretches of water. Find out more about the campaign and how you can support it here.