A 12-year-old schoolboy tragically lost his life after becoming trapped between two rocks in a river during a family outing, an inquest has revealed. Khaled Basem Al Satouf drowned in the River Swale at Richmond Falls in North Yorkshire, with witnesses initially believing he was merely playing in the water.
The Incident
On August 16, Khaled was visiting the popular beauty spot with six other family members. Witness Paul Norton described seeing the boy in the water, appearing to have fun. 'There were lots of people in the water on the day in question, and there was one boy in the bottom pool having fun and splashing around,' Mr Norton said at Northallerton Coroner's Court. 'His family was on the pebble beach, and I stood and watched for two minutes – the boy seemed to be having a good time.'
Mr Norton noted that Khaled was in water up to his neck, but he had no concerns for the boy's safety. 'He was going under the water, and I thought he was just messing around. Two minutes later, I heard screams from further along the falls and towards the river. I turn around, and he's no longer there,' he added.
Witness Accounts
A young witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, recounted being in the water with Khaled when he disappeared. 'I was in the water near a rock and Khaled was going to get out. I thought he was joking. He was always joking,' she said. 'I saw him go under the water for a while and said Khaled is drowning. He was going back towards the waterfall. I saw him going under for a while. He can swim a bit. But not in that water.'
Search and Recovery
North Yorkshire Police were alerted around 5pm on the day of the incident. Despite a thorough search, Khaled's body was not located until approximately 10:45pm that evening. His remains were found around 12 feet below the water's surface, trapped between two rocks.
Inquest Conclusion
Assistant coroner for North Yorkshire, Alison Norton, recorded a verdict of accidental death, confirming that Khaled died from drowning. Police concluded there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Floral tributes were left at the scene in memory of the young boy from Leeds.
