Teenager's death in Himley 'Blue Lagoon' pool was accidental
A coronoer has criticised vandals who damaged a fence around a disused quarry allowing youngsters to access the site, including a teenager who drowned in a pool there, as an inquest ruled his death was accidental.
Police said owners of the site had done 'everything it reasonably could' to secure the site known locally as the Blue Lagoon near Himley.
A jury yesterday took less than 30 minutes to return a verdict of accidental death on the death of 15-year-old Augusto Zacarias.
Jurors heard Augusto and a group of friends had entered the site, through a gap in a fence on July 25 last year. The teenager, who could not swim, had slipped from a ledge and plunged into the marl hole pool, near to the Crooked House pub,Himley.
His friends had desperately tried to help him but the teenager had panicked.
Jurors heard his friends had managed to get him to the side of the pool but, in his fear, he had pulled away from the edge.
Emergency services were called but Augusto disappeared beneath the water.
Giving evidence at the hearing at Smethwick Coroner's Court, John Davies, health, safety and environment manager at Wienerberger, who owned the site at the time of the tragedy said: "On the morning this tragedy took place we had a contractor out to repair the fence as there had been trespassers on the day before," he said.
"There was a situation where repairs could be done in the morning and the fence could be damaged again later the same day."
And he added 4x4 vehicles had been used to tear down the fence previously.
Giving evidence yesterday Augusto's father Pedro, said: "I am very sorry to have lost my son in these circumstances."
Senior Coroner Mr Robin Balmain said: "The damage to the fence was caused by someone from the community. It is perfectly shocking and reprehensible. The people who have done this know who they are and will need to live with the fact that what they did will undoubtedly have been an encouragement for these boys to go onto the site."
