Cause of death of four boys found in submerged car on camping trip given at inquest

Four boys who died during a camping trip to Wales drowned, an inquest has been told. A major search was launched for Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Hugo Morris, 18, after they were reported missing by their worried families. The youngsters, all from the Shropshire area, were later found dead inside a partially submerged car which had left the road in North Wales.

Now an inquest into their deaths has been opened and the provisional cause of their death has been given. None of the teenagers’ families attended the brief four-minute hearing in which Kate Robertson, HM Coroner for North West Wales, stated the provisional cause of their deaths was drowning. The tragedy happened after the A level students left home to go on an overnight camping trip to the Snowdonia area on November 19.

But when they failed to return home and their phones were not working their worried families alerted police. They were discovered inside the silver Ford Fiesta on November 21. The car had left the A4085 at Garreg, near Tremadog, overturned, and was partially submerged in water, North Wales Police said.

On Wednesday, coroner Ms Robertson said the students were all formally identified to police by family members. She said: “The four young men were travelling in a vehicle along the A4085 at Llanfrothen when the vehicle has left the road. The circumstances of which resulted in the deaths of all four occupants.

“Post-mortem examinations have been undertaken and the provisional causes of death provided, pending inquests.” A police investigation remains ongoing, she said. Ms Robertson concluded: “I offer the families my sincerest condolences.

“These inquests will be adjourned pending completion of those further investigations.” No date has been set for the full hearings.