Overview
- Two boys from Newcastle, 14-year-old David Radut and 13-year-old Aras Rudzianskas, got into difficulty after using a rope swing and both drowned, the court heard.
- Detective Sergeant Danielle Grant and witnesses told the inquest that on May 18, 2024 David let go of the swing, fell into deeper water and Aras jumped in to try to save him.
- A local paddleboarder, Fiona Matthews, pulled Aras from the water and paramedics briefly restored his heartbeat but he died in hospital three days later while David was recovered and declared dead at the scene.
- Assistant Coroner Paul Dunn recorded David's death as an accident and issued a narrative conclusion for Aras, calling his act to save his friend ‘selfless’ and among the bravest he has seen.
- The inquest exposed that safety signs and rescue equipment promised after a 2022 drowning had not been installed by May 2024, prompting Prevention of Future Deaths reports and questions about landowner permissions and local safety procedures.