Inquiry Reveals Boy Drowned in 2019 River Boarding Despite Inability to Swim

A Fatal Accident Inquiry has revealed that a 12-year-old boy from Glasgow, unable to swim, was permitted to join a river boarding activity that ended in his drowning on the River Tay in 2019. Kayden Walker, from Bridgeton, participated in the outing organized by the Church House Community Group on July 28, 2019, near the village of Stanley in Perth and Kinross. During the session, run by Outdoor Pursuits Scotland Ltd., he became separated from his board and trapped on the upstream side of a weir. Rescuers pulled him from the water after he was submerged for more than three minutes. He was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and later transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow, where he died the following day.

The inquiry, held at Falkirk Sheriff Court under Sheriff Keith O'Mahony, heard testimony on Monday from Angela Molloy, who was the project manager for Church House at the time. Now 55 and working as a community service officer after leaving the organization, Molloy described how Kayden had previously taken part in other water-based activities with the group, such as white water rafting and wakeboarding. Despite his inability to swim even 10 meters without...