13-Year-Old Boy Went Swimming with a Friend, Then Disappeared Beneath the Water. He Was Found Trapped by Tree

A 13-year-old boy tragically drowned in the U.K. after becoming trapped under a tree in the River Tawe, officials confirmed during a recent hearing.

Kane Edwards died on May 24, 2022, after going swimming with a friend in the River Tawe in Morriston, Swansea, according to an inquest held on Monday, Aug. 18, the BBC reported.

At the time, police said Kane had “got into difficulty,” The Independent noted.

During the inquest, a witness recalled that Kane’s friend had asked, “Have you seen my friend? He’s gone under the water and not come up.” The boy later told authorities he saw Kane’s foot appear to be “trapped” in the water despite the current.

After what was described as a “frantic” search, Kane’s body was eventually found near the middle of the river, the BBC reported. A firefighter testified that they discovered “a tree on the bottom of the river pinning the boy under it.”

The inquest determined that Kane’s cause of death was consistent with drowning. Officials also noted that the cold water temperature likely contributed to shock.

Emergency services initially struggled to pinpoint his exact location, and three different pools in the area were searched before Kane was found.

Kane’s family remembered him as a “lovely boy.” His cousin, Ffion McCormick-Edwards, told Wales Online in 2024 that he was “very sporty, very lively and really close to his mother and family.”

“He was generally a really nice, easy-going and lovely boy,” she said. “He would talk to anyone. He meant everything to his family, especially his brothers. He was so full of life he was the entertainment of the family.”

Martin Franklin, Kane’s headteacher, also expressed grief at the time. In a statement to The Independent, he said: “Our whole school community is devastated by the news, and our thoughts are with the family and friends of our pupil.”