Teenager who died rescuing people from sea described as "heroic" by coroner
18-year-old Callum Baker-Osborne helped family members caught by a strong tide
Last updated 5th Jan 2023
A coroner has described a teenager who died helping to save his young nieces and nephews from drowning in Poole Harbour as "heroic".
18-year-old Callum Baker-Osborne from Coventry got into difficulty near a holiday park at Rockley Point on 26 July 2022.
An inquest has been told the children were swept off their feet by a strong current while paddling in the sea.
Callum was last seen trying to save a seven-year-old girl before he drifted away.
The teenager's body was recovered at Lake Pier in Hamworthy four days later on 30 July.
The inquest is being held at Dorset Coroner's Court in Bournemouth.
Coroner Richard Middleton heard evidence from pathologist Dr Robert Blahut who carried out the post-mortem examination and determined Mr Baker-Osborne's medical cause of death was drowning.
His brother Daniel Osborne tearfully asked whether he would have been in any pain as he drowned.
Dr Blahut replied:
"It's very difficult to answer, but given the circumstances he would have lost consciousness pretty quickly, and as consciousness goes, the perception of the pain goes as well. I believe the entire process happened within minutes."
Neither his mother or sister could swim and had only entered the water up to around knee depth to keep an eye on the children and grandchildren paddling.
Callum's mum Ann-Marie Osborne and sister Samantha Osborne-Ward were then swept away by a strong current along with several of Mrs Osborne's grandchildren.
Josh Ayles, who worked at the Rockley Watersports club as an instructor, was on a powerboat supporting customers when he noticed people were in trouble in the water.
He pulled Mrs Osborne and two or three children onto his boat and took them to shore.
Two other boats helped to pull people out of the water while eyewitness Sam Cowell, who was crabbing with his young son, and Rockley Watersports training and development manager Elizabeth McMaster, jumped into the water with a life ring to aid the rescue.
Mr Baker-Osborne helped to lift his younger relatives out of the water but then "drifted away" and was not seen again.
Mr Ayles said it was well known locally the tide is very strong, and that the depth of the water drops sharply by a number of feet as the beach reaches the dredged boat channel.
The inquest continues.