A SCHOOLBOY drowned after jumping into a river as his horrified best friend dived in 10 times to try and rescue him.
Shadrack Appiah, 10, ran ahead from a group of friends before jumping into the River Kennett, near Reading, in August last year.
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He could not swim and jumped into the water, which appeared shallow, unaware it was actually 6ft deep with thick silt on the river bed.
Shadrack, who had only had 10 swimming lessons in the pool at his school, was then tragically left screaming for his help.
A friend jumped in 10 times to try and rescue him, but an absence of safety equipment around the river left them unable to retrieve him.
Firefighters rushed to the scene 20 minutes later and Shadrack was rushed to hospital, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
An inquest heard Shadrack was “scared” of water and would “never enter a pool”.
But he entered the river after it appeared deceptively shallow, the court was told.
A friend jumped in 10 times to try and rescue him, while the mum of another friend also entered the water twice to try and reach him.
Recording a verdict of misadventure on the boy’s death, Assistant Coroner for Berkshire Hannah Godfrey said: “It’s the nature of children to do unwise and unpredictable things.”
The coroner said a hidden hazard of unexpected deep water in the river, which may have appeared shallower due to a silt build-up, may have caused Shadrack to lose his footing.
But how he came to be in trouble remained unclear, she added.
Ms Godfrey said that, despite a lack of safety equipment at the riverbank, any equipment would have been unlikely to have aided rescue efforts.
The coroner said she would not recommend a Prevention of Future Deaths report, but had concerns about the lack of signage in the area.
She is also sceptical about warning signs added since his death.
It comes as signs have been erected around Waterloo Meadows in Reading showing deep-water in the area.
A sign at the entrance of the public grounds has also been amended with a picture to indicate that swimming is prohibited.
Ms Godfrey said: “The death of Shadrack appears to be the trigger for the start of the Reading River Safety Partnership.
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“There is the potential to save lives not just in this specific area, but across the whole borough.
“Something good will come of this unspeakable loss suffered by the family.”
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