River Deaths: Safety Gear Ignored, Inquest Told

An inquest has revealed that crucial safety equipment and warning signs were absent at the River Tyne in Ovingham, Northumberland, where two teenage boys lost their lives. David Radut, 14, and Aras Rudzianskas, 13, drowned in May 2024. This incident occurred despite the prior drowning of 13-year-old Robert Hattersley in the same location in July 2022.

Martin Kammeier, station manager at Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, testified at County Hall in Morpeth, expressing frustration over the delayed installation of a proposed 'This water is dangerous do not enter!' sign at the site. He cited resourcing as a constraint, though the community risk management plan was reviewed post-Hattersley's death. Water safety programs significantly increased, doubling school talks from the previous year.

Northumberland Estates, owning the river bank, had granted permission for signs on April 19, 2024, less than a month before the boys' deaths. Assistant coroner Paul Dunn questioned the two-year delay in erecting signs, calling it an 'inordinate amount length of time.' Kammeier stated he was advised not to include information about previous deaths on signs to avoid distressing families. The council was unaware of the specific rope swing used by the boys.