Smiley boy, 9, tragically died after throwing himself from truck as it 'lost control' and careered towards edge of cliff

A nine-year-old boy died after he threw himself from a truck which had 'lost control' and was careering towards the edge of a cliff, an inquest has heard.

Tomos Rhys Bunford died after his father's Mitsubishi Warrior, which was towing a heavy water tank to feed calves at the bottom of Blaenllechau Farm in Ferndale, which was rented from a friend, began speeding towards the bottom of the steep grassy hill on September 6, 2021.

Tomos' father Rhys Bunford told Pontypridd Coroners' Court on Tuesday (April 9) that he made the split second decision to tell his family to throw themselves from the vehicle as he was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop it from falling over the edge, WalesOnline reports.

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Mum Louise Bunford told the inquest how she remembered pushing Tomos to get him as far away from the vehicle as possible, before she grabbed hold of their youngest of three children - baby Clemmie - and hurled herself out of the truck too before throwing Clemmie as far as she could.

The oldest child, 15-year-old Gethin, didn't manage to get out of the vehicle and was still beside Rhys in the front of the vehicle when it came to a sudden stop in a jack-knife position, with the truck and the tank having turned 180 degrees.

The court heard in evidence that many variables could have led to the vehicle turning in such a way, such as the heavy water tank putting too much pressure on the vehicle's rear. The maximum weight for a water tank without brakes is 750kg, the hearing heard, but the tank was carrying 2,240kg at the time.

Louise explained how the "whole thing happened so quickly" before she saw Tomos "in a ball on