Teya Davies drowned helping friend at Clincton Wood pond

Teya Davies died at the age of 14 after falling into a pond at Clincton Wood Nature Reserve in Widnes in August last year.

Today, Monday, Warrington Coroners Court heard how the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic College pupil ‘very bravely’ attempted to help her friend who had fallen into the water before slipping herself and drowning.

But Heath Westerman – the assistant coroner for Cheshire, who oversaw an inquest into Teya’s death – will write to Halton Borough Council concerning a lack of signage warning members of the public from entering the water, as well as there being no life rings in the area.

The inquest heard that Teya, of Downside, Hough Green, spent the afternoon of Saturday, August 4, watching Netflix with her friends before the group of four decided to go to the nature reserve.

She and one of the other friends – who cannot be named for legal reasons – were sat on a muddy bank by the edge of a watercourse known as the Sniggy Pond at shortly before 6pm on the evening in question, with their feet dipped in the water.

When the friend stood up again, she slipped and fell into the water.

Teya then reached out to pull her friend back onto land, but then fell into the pond in herself.

Both girls were initially stood up with the water up to their waists and were laughing, but began to panic and drifted further out into the pond.

One of the girls on the shore contacted the emergency services as the fourth member of the group managed to pull the girl who had first fallen into the water to safety, but she was unable to save Teya – who was described as a ‘well-loved lively character with a caring nature and beautiful smile’ in the wake of her death.

Kind-hearted residents donated more than £5,000 to Teya’s family following her death, while a vigil was held in her memory at Clincton Wood Nature Reserve.

Teya Davies

Her dad Edward, sat beside the teenager’s mum Nicola, told the inquest that his daughter had not been a strong swimmer.

Off-duty police officer Christopher Wall, who spent around 45 minutes in the pond searching for Teya, also described how he himself had struggled to swim in the deep water.

Police diver Steven McDowell found Teya’s body shortly before 8pm around six feet away from the muddy bank, two-and-a-half metres below the surface.

Mr Westerman said: “Teya was a very, very brave girl who had tried to assist her friend who was in difficulty – tragically, this cost her her life.

“The selfless and brave actions of the girl who managed to save her friend should be commended and put forward for any suitable award.

“Tragically, she and others were unable to save Teya.

“I am deeply sorry for your loss and offer my condolences to you – I hope you can move on in your grief and remember her for the lovely, brave girl she was.”

Halton Borough Council owns three quarters of the Sniggy Pond, including the area where Teya fell into the water.

The inquest heard that in spring 2017, the owner of the other quarter of the pond made alterations to the pond which led to the water level being reduced and the muddy bank where Teya was sat to be exposed.

But the only signs warning members of the public of the dangers of entering the water were in the car park, while Halton Borough Council removed all of its life rings from near watercourses in the late 1990s due to vandalism.

Mr Westerman added: “The manner of the tragedy that unfolded could have led to the death of three young women.

“If I consider that there is a risk of further deaths then actions should be taken to prevent this from happening again.

“I have no other choice – I do believe there is a risk of future deaths and that action could be taken.

“All I can do is express my concerns that action should be taken, I cannot say what that action should be – I will write to the relevant authorities who I believe could take action.”

Mr Westerman concluded that Teya Davies had suffered an accidental death as a result of drowning.

Halton Borough Council has been contacted for comment.