Overview
- Junior Slater, aged 12, got into difficulty while swimming in the River Ribble and was found underwater after a major search that recovered his body roughly six hours after the incident on May 26.
- An opening inquest at Preston Coroner’s Court on June 11 reported CT post-mortem evidence that gave the cause of death as drowning.
- A final inquest is listed for September 18 before Assistant Coroner Richard Taylor to hear fuller evidence and consider any recommendations.
- Local MPs raised the case during a parliamentary water-safety debate and a Defra minister said the government will examine measures such as responsibility for safety equipment and free summer swimming lessons for children.
- Junior’s death has prompted community tributes and fundraising for the family and has been linked to a wider spike in open-water fatalities during the late-May heatwave, which has increased public concern about safety at informal swimming spots.