Day of tragedy for cousins (From South Wales Argus)

Day of tragedy for cousins

9:57am Tuesday 8th December 2009

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A DAY playing turned to tragedy for two young cousins when they were swept away in the River Severn, an inquest heard yesterday.

One of the boys, Chepstow schoolboy Jamie-Lee Wilson Cartwright, eight, drowned. His cousin Kyle, then nine, survived thanks to the quick-thinking of a bird-watcher who heard their shouts for help and the work of members of the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA).

Jamie-Lee, who lived in Wyvern Road, Beachley, with his family, died on August 4, 2005, at Bristol’s Frenchay Hospital. A post mortem examination revealed the cause of his death was drowning.

An inquest into his death at Flax Bourton Coroner’s court, Bristol, yesterday heard the Offa’s Mead School pupil was playing with his cousin Kyle on a causeway between the mainland and Chapel Rock near Chepstow when the incident happened.

Eyewitness Thomas John Forster was bird watching from a World War Two bunker at Beachley Point when he heard the boys’ shouts for help at around 5.15pm, a statement to the court heard.

Mr Forster ran to help and saw the rock they were standing on was submerged in water.

Realising he could not reach them, he called 999 for the Coastguard.

The water continued to rise and soon the boys were swept from the rocks into the River Severn travelling parallel to the shore.

Mr Forster who was following the boys along the river bank spotted SARA and told them where the boys were.

A three-man crew pulled a conscious Kyle from the water first and treated him for hypothermia.

Crew members tried to resuscitate Jamie-Lee until paramedics took over when they returned to Beachley slipway, the inquest heard.

The boys were taken to Bristol’s Frenchay Hospital where Jamie-Lee was pronounced dead at 7.12pm.

Deputy coroner for Avon, Brian Whitehouse, said: "The efforts and actions of the SARA team and Mr Forster deserve to be commended. I think their combined actions saved the life of the other lad."

He added: “Tragically Jamie was only eight years old when he died and was probably unaware of the dangers, which present themselves when playing near a river bank, especially the Severn Estuary with its powerful river tides.”

Mr Whitehouse recorded a verdict of misadventure and offered his condolences to Jamie-Lee's parents.

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