WA inquest into death of two teenage boys to be shown harrowing mobile phone footage
Written by Angie Raphael, published on news.com.au
Distressing footage of the failed attempt to save two boys from drowning in a river will be shown during a coronial inquest.
An inquest into the deaths of two teenage boys who drowned while trying to flee police by swimming across Perth’s Swan River will be shown footage of the failed attempt to rescue them.
Talented young footballers Master Drage, 16, and Master Simpson, 17, were running away from officers who were pursuing them on foot when they leapt into the river and died in September 2018.
The West Australian Coroner’s Court is examining whether their deaths were caused, or contributed to, by the actions of police.
Counsel assisting the coroner Sarah Tyler said in her opening address on Monday that a witness saw four boys running and two of them jump a fence in Maylands, prompting her to flag down a police car.
Four Aboriginal males, who appeared to be aged between 15 and 18, were soon after spotted running towards a bowling club, the court heard.
The officers chased them on foot as they suspected the group had been involved in the earlier reported trespassing incident.
Meanwhile, David Kerslake was at his Rivervale home overlooking the Swan River when he heard a noise and saw the teenagers running.
“He saw the four boys enter the river. One of those boys, who we now know was Witness P, entered the river up to his chest, before starting to go back to the Maylands side of the river,” Ms Tyler said.
“Witness P says that the water was freezing and he decided not to start swimming.
“Three other boys, who we now know were Master Drage, Master Simpson and Witness N, started swimming across the river towards the Rivervale side of the river.
“We now know that the fifth boy that had been with the group had run in a different direction than the other boys and never attended the river.”
The two uniformed police officers arrived at the riverbank after the boys had entered the water and one called out for Witness P to come back.
“(The officer) saw three boys in the water. At that point, his understanding was that all three were swimming strongly,” Ms Tyler said.
Three tactical response group officers who happened to be in the area arrived soon after and two of them entered the water to help.
Bradley Reeve, who was living in an apartment overlooking the river on the Rivervale side, started filming on his mobile phone.
“Much of that footage will be played in the course of this inquest,” Ms Tyler said.
“It is apparent in that footage that at least one of the swimmers is struggling to swim.”
The footage then shows one of the swimmers submerge, with the two TRG officers swimming strongly in their direction “but still too far away to render assistance”.
“(One officer) swam towards Witness N, who was standing in the water holding on to a tree that was hanging over the river,” Ms Tyler said.
“(He) describes Witness N as ‘in shock and crying’. He was visibly upset and shaking from the cold.”
Master Drage’s body was found that night and Master Simpson’s body was recovered the following morning.
Physician David Joyce concluded the boys’ cannabis intoxication would be, at most, an indirect contributor to their deaths, the court heard.
The inquest continues.
