Inquest hears heartbreaking final moments of young footballer, 13, after tragic river death

A promising young footballer drowned as he swam in a river on a hot summer's day, an inquest has heard.

Thomas 'Tomi' Solomon, 13, tragically died after getting into trouble in the water at a popular West Yorkshire swimming spot in June last year.

Tomi, who played for Bradford City Academy, began to struggle after jumping from a bridge into the River Calder at Brighouse.

At an inquest, held by senior coroner Martin Fleming, heard how Tomi's friends attempted to rescue him, but could not lift him out of the water, Yorkshire Live reports.

One of his friends who can't be named for legal reasons said he remembered seeing Tomi jumping into the water.

He told the inquest: "As soon as Tomi was in the water I remember seeing him struggling and panicking. He was waving his arms around. Another student shouted that Tomi couldn't swim."

Another friend added: "I heard girls shouting that he was struggling. I could see ripples in the water and I managed to grab hold of him by one of his arms."

However, the boy said he began choking himself and couldn't breathe so had to let go. Emergency services arrived at the scene, but Tomi's body was not recovered for at least another hour and a half, the inquest heard.

Tomi's dad Mbamu Solomon was asked by Mr Fleming whether his son could swim. "He was not an expert but he could swim," he said, adding that his son had had swimming lessons up to Level 2.

Wayne Couzens 'spent £165 on Xbox' as he serves whole-life sentence for Sarah Everard murder

Mr Fleming speculated that perhaps the shock of jumping into the cold water may have caused him to struggle in the water.

The hearing was told there was no signage warning people not to jump from the bridge and Tomi's mum Frida Ndabue said more needed