Inquest hears how 20-year-old student drowned, leading to ban on open coastal water events to avoid risks involving tides and currents
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
An inquest has heard from witnesses, loved ones, and investigators how a young man died at sea after he rescued three female members of his university’s wild swimming society who were struggling to survive when caught up in strong currents.
MailOnline reports that Jack Edward Lees was just days away from celebrating his 21st birthday when he travelled with the group of 60 members of Bristol University Students Union’s Wild Swimming Society for a four-day trip back in June last year.
The aspiring brain surgeon, from Crediton in Devon, died after he helped save three girls who started to struggle against the strong currents just north of Northcott Mouth beach on the summer’s evening.
An inquest into the 20-year-old’s death heard how the young man was suddenly swamped by a big wave and never resurfaced on the night.
The hearing heard the beach had not been lifeguarded as it was after 6pm and lifeguard cover runs from 10am to 6pm on Cornwall beaches during the high season.
Jack’s mother, Dr Dawn Lees, described her son as an ‘amazing young man’.
His actions on that night were described as heroic, but Dr Lees questioned why they were necessary and said her son should never have ‘felt compelled to go in the water that evening on an outgoing tide’.
She raised questions about wild swimming risk assessment and water safety training and equipment being provided to the members by the wild swimming society by the student union.
She said so many lessons ought to be learned from Jack’s death including improving safety for those taking part in dangerous activities including wild swimming with better information about rip currents and tides being provided.
Ben Pilling, CEO of the Bristol University Student Union, said the Bude trip had successfully run in three previous years, but that it would no longer be taking place.
Mr Pilling said that following Jack’s death new health and safety measures had been brought in by the student union.
He told the inquest that open coastal water events are no longer allowed any more to avoid risks involving tides and currents.
The inquest heard in detail how on the evening of June 4, Jack, from Crediton in Devon, and his friend Zaid, were in the water when three girls started panicking after being taken out to sea by strong rips and currents.
The lads managed to reach two of the girls and swim with them back to shore. Jack stayed in to help the third girl who was still in the water and increasingly panicking.
He reached the girl and both drifted out and struggled some more to swim back to the beach as the waves were getting bigger and the weather conditions changed.
The girl he saved managed to reach the shore, but Jack was suddenly swamped by a big wave and never resurfaced.
Emergency services were called to the area and RNLI volunteers and the coastguard helicopter searched for Jack throughout the night and again in the morning.
His body was discovered on Upton Beach by a beachcomber on June 18, two weeks after his disappearance on the evening of June 4, 2024.
In her statement, Jack’s mother Dr Lees, said her son had enrolled at Bristol to study neuroscience with a view to become a brain surgeon.
She told the inquest that Jack had decided on this choice of career after watching a Ted Talk.
She said: ‘Jack had an amazing group of friends. He had found his people. He was happy and I’m grateful for that.’
She said that on the evening of his disappearance Jack sent her sunset pictures.
She added: ‘When I said goodbye to him I had no reason to think that he would never come back.’
Dr Lees said the beach was not lifeguarded and had a sign warning beach users not to go into the sea as currents were strong.
The inquest heard that about 20 students from the Wild Swimming Society were on the beach that evening with about 10 in the water with varying swimming abilities.
She told the hearing that it haunts her to think that as the pair struggled to get back and tiredness and panic set in, Jack would have known he might not make it out alive.
‘The student union must not be complacent about student safety and make sure that it does not happen again. I don’t want other families to go through what we’ve been through,’ she said.
She added that Jack’s death had touched so many and his memorial had been attended by 100 students while pupils at his primary school he had attended organised a fundraiser in his name for the RNLI and raised more than £11,300.
Dr Lees said a plaque at the university is now covered by so many finger prints and kisses from all those who knew and loved Jack.
‘His death is more than a drowning by misadventure as the inquest will probably find. Three people are alive because of Jack. He was always running towards danger if it meant he could help someone. That’s what he did.
‘Jack never had the 21st birthday party he had been planning in our garden. Instead of birthday cards for him we received condolences,’ Dr Lees added.
‘I want him to be remembered for the three girls who would likely be dead if it was not for him.
‘Jack was a gentleman in life and as shown in his death too. He will be greatly missed by so many people.
‘This was a preventable death. Had it been properly risk assessed and the students had been provided with the knowledge, equipment and training, they would not have been swimming there.’
Detective Sergeant Tom McIntyre, the officer in the case, said he was not aware of any signage being on the beach about any potential dangers or asking beachgoers to avoid going in the sea. He said there was no sign of third party involvement and no alcohol or drugs were involved.
DS McIntyre told the inquest that Jack’s actions had been nothing short of heroic.
He said: ‘This was an event when students went to the area for a swim and Jack entered the water heroically to save others that were in trouble in the water and during those efforts he got into trouble himself and didn’t manage to get out.’
Recording a death by misadventure, assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Emma Hillson said Jack had placed himself in danger to try to help others but died as a result.
She said: ‘He had the brave intention to enter the water to help others in difficulty. He placed his own safety at risk to help others which led to this tragic outcome.’
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