A 12-year-old boy who drowned in the River Ribble in May could not swim and may have been carried away by strong currents, an inquest heard. Preston Coroner's Court was told that friends initially thought Junior Slater's cries for help were a joke.
Assistant coroner Richard Taylor returned a conclusion of accidental death caused by drowning. Detective Sergeant Mark Hutchinson of Lancashire Police told the hearing that investigators believe a strong undercurrent pulled Junior further into the river.
Some older teenagers at the scene reportedly swam to where Junior disappeared and dived to search for him, but visibility was poor. Junior's family asked people to remember his "blue eyes, his smile, his laugh" and his "huge heart", while a family friend called for better water safety education.