Man, 25, fell into the Thames while on a Facetime name to girlfriend

May 03, 2023 at 12:21 AM

A person who was planning to run the London Marathon died after falling into the River Thames while on a Facetime name together with his girlfriend, an inquest has heard. James East, 25, from Swansea, in South Wales, had been planning to run the London Marathon when he died on September 25.

The inquest heard how James hit his head on the bottom of Kingston Bridge in West London after chatting with his girlfriend, Arabella, on a video name after an evening out.

Mr East was later seen “face down” within the water. The inquest heard how emergency providers tried to avoid wasting the 25-year-old as he was transferred to Kingston Hospital within the early hours of September 25.

However, after a number of hours, medical doctors had been unable to resuscitate him. An inquest into the “remarkable” enterprise growth government’s loss of life heard how he was coaching to run the London Marathon when he died.

On Tuesday, Assistant Coroner Anton van Dellen concluded that Mr East’s loss of life was a “tragic” accident.

The coroner insisted that Mr East had not supposed to take his personal life.

On the evening Mr East died he had been on an evening out together with his girlfriend, Arabella Ashfield, to have fun her sister’s 18th birthday.

West London Coroners Court heard how the group had gone to the Pryzm nightclub in Kingston earlier than leaving within the early hours of the morning to take a pre-booked taxi again to their properties.

However, the inquest heard how Mr East left the group and known as his girlfriend on FaceTime.

Mr East later turned on his telephone digital camera and leaned his cell phone in opposition to a light-weight on Kingston Bridge and sat together with his again to the water.

Ms Ashfield, who had been with Mr East for round 18 months, advised the inquest how moments after he sat on the wall she heard a “splash” and screamed.

In a press release, she mentioned: “His phone was switched to video call. I remember the image being close to his face. He was crying, I think this was due to him feeling bad as we were waiting for him.

“He said, I’m sorry and leaned back in a purposeful way, and I heard a splash. I screamed and said [to my sister’s boyfriend] Matthew, ‘We need to get there now’.”

After Mr East fell into the water, an enormous operation involving emergency providers and the RNLI started. Just quarter-hour after the incident at round 4am, crews discovered two white objects within the water.

The inquest heard from PC Jeremy Ashmore who mentioned that officers had been “able to make out the shape of a person in the water” and that the white objects had been Mr East’s trainers.

He added: “I was aware that James had an injury to his head, and there was blood on the floor. I could see that the bridge broadens with a ledge, which it is believed James struck whilst falling.”

Although emergency providers tried to resuscitate Mr East, they had been unable to take action.

James East was pronounced lifeless shortly after 7am on September 25.