A 2-year-old girl, Eva-Rose Wainwright, was discovered lifeless in a river in Lifton, Devon, shortly after her father left her playing near the water while he tended to sheep in a nearby field. Tragically, upon his return approximately 15 to 20 minutes later, she was found face down in the stream. Despite immediate medical assistance being sought, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
The subsequent inquest, held in Exeter on June 16, 2023, highlighted the heartbreaking final moments of the toddler. Coroner Alison Longhorn emphasized the dangers of leaving young children unsupervised near even shallow water, describing Eva-Rose’s death as a truly tragic event.
The coroner ruled the death as accidental. On the day of the incident, Eva-Rose accompanied her father, Charles Wainwright, to a property in Lifton where he was attending to sheep. Mr. Wainwright left Eva-Rose by the river with their dog, where he estimated the water depth to be around 30cm. He intermittently checked on her before finding her unresponsive in the water, initiating CPR efforts immediately.
Following the absence of his mobile phone, Mr. Wainwright rushed back to the property to call emergency services. Despite his CPR attempts and the arrival of paramedics, including the Cornwall Air Ambulance, Eva-Rose was declared deceased at 6.50pm. A post-mortem examination revealed that she was a healthy child, with drowning determined as the cause of death.
The examination also noted a bruise on Eva-Rose’s forehead, which, while not linked to her death, may have contributed to disorientation prior to drowning. Authorities conducted an investigation but found no evidence of foul play, leading to no charges being filed. An online obituary expressed the family’s profound loss and highlighted Eva-Rose’s cherished presence in their lives.
According to the National Water Safety Forum, approximately 400 individuals drown annually in the UK.