A teenage ruby player died in a ‘fast-flowing’ river while going for a swim with a friend after school, an inquest heard.
Kane Edwards, 13, had been seen ‘paddling’ in the water with a classmate before he was dragged underwater.
His devastated friends were unable to see him in the ‘dark’ river before he was found unconscious an hour later by rescue teams.
An inquest heard his body was later found trapped under a tree after officers carried out a ‘frantic’ 45-minute search.
PC Richard Petherbridge told the hearing the ‘extremely fast-running’ and ‘murky water’ of the River Tawe near Swansea Enterprise Park made it impossible to save him.
A small boat was later used to eventually get to the centre of the river where sporty Kane, who played rugby for Morriston under 14s, was found dead at the River Tawe in Morriston, Swansea.
The hearing was told Kane and his friend has been seen by passers-by paddling in the water but this was not unusual.
Kane’s friend ran up to a passer-by saying: ‘Have you seen my friend? He’s gone under the water and not come up.’
Kane Edwards, 13, died in a ‘fast-flowing’ river after going for a swim with a friend after school, an inquest heard
Sporty Kane, who played rugby for Morriston under 14s, was found dead at the River Tawe in Morriston, Swansea (pictured)
An inquest heard his body was later found trapped under a tree after officers carried out a ‘frantic’ 45-minute search
Emergency services were called to the scene, including Firefighters, ambulance and coastguards who joined the search, but the current of the water made it very difficult.
PC Petherbridge said he could not go into the water fully because ‘the current under the water was running faster than on the surface’.
He told the hearing fire crews also struggled due to the fast-flowing river and some were nearly swept away.
The hearing in Swansea was told a firefighter was able to go under the water and emerged saying there was a ‘tree on the bottom of the river pinning the boy under it’.
A shoe then emerged from the river and Kane’s family identified it as his.
The inquest, listed for two days, continues.
At the time of his death in May 2022, a spokesman for South Wales Police said: ‘The teenager was located around an hour later elsewhere in the river but he could not be resuscitated.’
The force later added: ‘South Wales Police can confirm that the boy who died after getting into difficulties in the River Tawe yesterday was 13-year-old Kane Edwards from Morriston.
Friends, teachers and family all paid tribute to tragic teenager who was described as a ‘sweet boy’
‘His family is being supported by specially-trained officers. They have asked that they be left to grieve and come to terms with their loss in private.’
Martin Franklin, headteacher at Morriston Comprehensive School, said: ‘Our whole school community is devastated by the news and our thoughts are with the family and friends of our pupil at this very difficult time.
‘Students and staff are being offered support and we’d ask that the privacy of the school community and the pupil’s friends and family be respected.’
Parents and school friends paid tribute to the youngster online.
One mother said: ‘RIP Kane you are going to be truly missed by everyone. Thinking of all his family.’
Another friend wrote: ‘You will be missed lad.’
