Drowning death of boy, four, ruled an accident

Ifan Wedros Owen-Jones drowned in a pond near his home on 7 August 2022

A four-year-old boy who was found dead in a pond drowned as a result of an accident, finds coroner.

Ifan Wedros Owen-Jones, from Blaenffos in Pembrokeshire, may have not understood the harm of "potential hazards" due to his autism, the inquest heard.

The Haverfordwest inquest was told his mother, Sian Owen, was dozing when it happened on 7 August 2022.

Coroner Paul Bennett described it as an "extremely distressing and tragic case" which "can only be an accident".

Ifan, who lived in a caravan on a farm with his mother, father and three brothers, was described as non-verbal.

Ms Owen told police that Ifan had been playing on the trampoline with his uncle before heading back inside the caravan to play on his iPad.

The inquest heard how she had dozed because of the heatwave at the time but could hear Ifan reciting the Fireman Sam theme song.

When she woke, the inquest heard, she asked Ifan’s brothers where he was, but was not worried at first because he would not usually go far.

But after driving around the farm looking for Ifan she was unable to find him and rang her husband, Wedros, to tell him.

'Extremely distressing'

Ifan's uncle, Matthew Owen, who lived in a caravan opposite, arrived to find his sister crying and asked her “he’s not gone to the pond has he?”.

Mr Owen then went to the pond and found his nephew floating face down in the water.

Emergency services were called at about 17:30 BST on Sunday, 7 August. Ifan was declared dead at 18:40.

Andrew Bamber, a consultant paediatric and perinatal pathologist, told the inquest: “On the balance of probability the young boy drowned.

“However, his autistic spectrum disorder would have reduced his understanding of hazards and there is often a fascination with water in children with the condition.”

'We are all truly broken'

Mr Bennett, the acting senior coroner for Pembrokeshire, said: “This is an extremely distressing and tragic case and, in my view, can only be an accident.

“To what extent his autism played is difficult for me to determine. But he would not have known or been aware of hazards the pond possessed.”

He concluded Ifan died as a result of an accident and passed on his condolences to the family. The inquest heard the family did not attend the hearing because of the grief they had experienced after losing Ifan.

In an earlier statement his family said: "Ifan was a beautiful, happy, healthy little boy. He had his struggles with some things due to being autistic but he was amazing at other things.

"Everyone who met Ifan fell in love with him, everyone adored him.

"He was and always will be our special little boy. We are so lost without him, Ifan was our world. We are all truly broken.”