UK Teen Drowns in Tank Because Friends Mistook Wave for Joke

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A teenager in the UK who did not know how to swim, drowned in a reservoir as his friends thought he was "joking" when he started waving for help, according to a report in The Telegraph. 16-year-old Tyrese Johnson was out with his friends on the last day of the school at Lodge Farm Reservoir, in Netherton, Dudley, in July, earlier this year when the incident took place. A friend said during the inquest hearing that he saw Mr Johnson waving but initially believed it to be a joke with others having a laugh as well. The situation, however, soon turned grim as Mr Johnson disappeared beneath the surface.


As per the group of friends, they had been in the water for under three minutes when Mr Johnson started facing difficulty. The water had been shallow but then the ground below suddenly dropped off "like a cliff edge" into deep water, which led to Mr Johnson's drowning, the friends said at the Black Country coroners court.


The friends desperately tried to pull him out but could not with one brave paddler diving under the surface for 40 minutes. Mr Johsnon's body was only recovered the following day around 11:30 am.


“I could see six or seven lads on the edge of the water – three were in the water and it looked like they were having a laugh like lads do," James Birks, the paddler, told the court.


“Then the tone changed and I realised someone was struggling," added Mr Birks.


Mr Birks said he heard people shouting “he's drowning” and paddled over. he dived into the water to the point where Mr Johnson should have been, but the water was muddy.


“I wish I could have done more to help,” Mr Birks added.

Also Read | 2 Women Try To Save Friend From Drowning In Swimming Pool, All Of Them Die

Tribute from family

In a tribute released by the family, Mr Johnson's parents said their son had been afraid of water and “never wanted to go to swimming lessons or go into the pool when on family holidays”.


“The hardest part is there's no answers as to why he was in the water,” they said in a statement.


"Tyrese was a very quiet and caring young man loved by his family...he looked like an angel and was an angel in his ways."


The family has questioned why there were no life preservers at the location.