Boy, 12, drowned while playing in river - inquest

The body of a 12-year-old boy was found trapped between rocks after he drowned while playing in a river, an inquest has heard.

Khaled Basem Al Satouf disappeared in the River Swale at Richmond Falls, North Yorkshire on 16 August and did not resurface.

The boy was visiting the popular beauty spot from Leeds with his family.

Assistant coroner for North Yorkshire Alison Norton ruled that Khaled died from drowning and recorded a conclusion of misadventure.

An eyewitness, Paul Norton, said he saw Khaled playing in the bottom pool of the Falls only around a minute before he disappeared and that he "heard screaming" from the child's family, who were on the pebble beach nearby.

A post-mortem examination conducted at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle found that Khaled had not suffered any injuries to his body.

North Yorkshire Police attended the scene shortly after Khaled went missing, and his body was eventually recovered at 22:45 BST the same evening.

He was approximately 3.6m (12ft) beneath the surface of the river and wedged between two rocks.

Coroner Norton added: "Khaled entered the River Swale at Richmond Falls, he was playing in the water when he got into difficulties and he went under the surface of the water.

"His death was confirmed at this location."

She offered her sympathies to Khaled's family, who did not attend the hearing at North Yorkshire Coroner's Court in Northallerton.

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