A father had to be physically dragged from a swollen river after leaping into the water in a desperate attempt to locate his missing two-year-old son, a coroner's court heard today. The tragic incident unfolded at Aylestone Meadows nature reserve in Leicester, where Xielo Maruziva vanished during a winter walk with his aunts.
Desperate Search in Treacherous Conditions
Bradley Maruziva told Leicester City Hall how he raced to the scene after receiving a panicked call from his mother, who had been contacted by one of the boy's aunts. Upon arrival, Mr Maruziva immediately entered the River Soar, despite the dangerous conditions. "I couldn't see anything," he recounted. "The current was very strong. Because I directly jumped in, it took me underneath. It took me under the bridge, and I had to hold on to a branch because I physically didn't have any strength. I was just trying to search."
Mr Maruziva remained in the frigid water for 15 to 20 minutes before police officers physically removed him after he refused their pleas to exit. He was subsequently taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia, while the search for his son continued.
Aunt's Heartbreaking Testimony
Nicole Maruziva, the boy's aunt and sister to Bradley Maruziva, sobbed as she described the moment Xielo entered the water. The trio had been crossing a walled stone bridge, pausing to take a selfie, with "no concerns" about flooding in the area. Xielo had been walking a few steps ahead when he "stopped and turned and then disappeared from view into the river."
"I saw Xielo turn to the side and taking what looked like a step, but once he had taken that step he wasn't there anymore," Nicole testified. "So I jumped into the water because I couldn't see him, because the water was muddy, and I was just using my arms to try and find him. But when I jumped into the water, it was up to my chest."
She described being swept by the current while desperately trying to find her nephew, shouting for help and alerting others on the bridge that there was a baby in the water. "I didn't even think about it (her own safety)," she said. "I just needed to get him."
Confusing Landscape and Lack of Warnings
Memory Maruziva, the second aunt present, told the inquest the river appeared "brown and muddy" and there "didn't seem to be any difference" between the colour of the water and the colour of the path. She explained it "wasn't clear" that the path didn't continue and became water, adding: "When you got into the water, that is when you realised it was not a continuous path."
Detective Inspector Kevin Hames of Leicestershire Police confirmed the area was a designated flood plain, but noted the public wouldn't have been aware unless they checked Environment Agency warnings online. He stated the extent of flooding "wasn't apparent" until visitors who accessed the area along a footpath reached the river.
"On the body worn video the water level is level with the path," Det Insp Hames told the jury. "There is no demarcation between the path ending and where the water rises to. It could distort your viewpoint if you haven't been there before. I was quite shocked by the amount of water in that location."
Massive Search Operation
Following Xielo's disappearance into the water around 5pm on Sunday, February 18, 2024, Leicestershire Police launched one of its most complex operations. The search involved nearly 200 officers, specialist divers, drones, helicopters, and sonar equipment. Underwater search experts from Specialist Group International—the same organization that searched for Nicola Bulley in Lancashire—were brought in at the family's request.
Despite the extensive efforts, the search was scaled back on March 21, with Xielo's body finally recovered on June 7 from a stream close to where he entered the water. Pathologist Dr Frances Hollingbury confirmed the cause of death as the "effects of immersion," adding: "It would have been an extremely short period of time, if any at all, before Xielo was unconscious."
Family Tributes to a Cherished Boy
Before evidence began, Xielo's parents provided jurors with a "pen portrait" of their son. His mother, Kayela Smith, described him as a "cheeky, friendly, smart, caring and independent little boy," adding: "He was deeply loved, and gave us a lifetime of love, and memories that we will hold forever."
Mr Maruziva remembered his son as "happy," "joyful" and "fearless," saying: "I think about what he would have been when he got older, and what he would have achieved in life."
The inquest, which is expected to last five days, continues to examine the circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking tragedy at the Leicester nature reserve.
