Overview
- Mackenzie Swift was reported to have entered the River Don near Mexborough on May 30 and triggered a 48-hour search by emergency services.
- His body was recovered on June 2 and was formally identified by his father before being released to the family for funeral arrangements.
- Doncaster Coroner Louise Slater opened the inquest on June 11 and adjourned it until a full hearing on February 16, 2027.
- A pathologist told the hearing that features observed were in keeping with drowning but the precise medical cause of death has not yet been confirmed.
- News coverage places Mackenzie’s death within a wider spike in open-water fatalities during the late-May heatwave, with local reports citing 17 deaths and national reports citing 19, raising questions about river safety and record-keeping.