Pontcysyllte aqueduct fall man died from chest injuries

Pontcysyllte aqueduct carries the Llangollen canal over the Dee Valley

A teenager who fell from Pontcysyllte aqueduct died from chest injuries, an inquest opening has heard.

Christopher McDowell, 18, was found at the base of the 120ft (36m) tall bridge near Llangollen, Denbighshire.

At a hearing in Ruthin on Monday, coroner John Gittins said a post mortem examination gave chest trauma as the provisional cause of death.

Mr McDowell, of Cefn Mawr, Wrexham county, was described as "bright and lively".

He had just finished a shift at a nearby McDonald's before heading to the aqueduct with his friend Matthew Breeze.

Mr Gittins, the coroner for north Wales east and central, said Mr McDowell had been identified from his driving licence and by Mr Breeze.

The teenager, who also worked at the Splash Magic leisure centre in Plas Madoc, was described as "well loved and very popular".

The inquest was adjourned for a full hearing in October.