Coroner Warns of 'Risk of Future Deaths' After Teen's Drowning

A coroner has issued a warning about a "significant risk of future deaths" following an investigation into the drowning of a 19-year-old who was found dead in a flooded road.

Alan Hirst died in February after it is believed he fell from his bike on the flooded A4110 near Adforton, Herefordshire, and suffered a cardiac arrest in the water. His body was discovered on February 8 in a ditch along the same road where he disappeared.

His family has expressed concerns about the police search, with his father, Steve, telling the BBC it felt as though his son had been "discarded." His mother, Hayley, described the search as "heartbreaking," saying, "You can't put into words how hopeless you feel when you're searching."

A coroner's report into Alan's death noted that a shortage of specialist search officers meant key decisions were not reviewed. The inquest heard that police knew Alan's last mobile phone activity was around the A4110. However, a Police Search Adviser (PolSA) decided not to search the floodwater due to safety concerns. Crucially, no PolSA was on duty the following day to review this decision.

When the road was later deemed safe enough for officers to search, Alan's body was found within 20 minutes. Hayley Hirst criticized the decision not to search the floodwater earlier, stating, "And that's what makes me so angry because that's the bit that could have been avoided."

In his prevention of future deaths report, Coroner James Bennett stated that the "inability for police forces to provide round-the-clock specialist search officers was being impeded by a lack of training provision." He added, "In my opinion unless action is taken to address the above concerns then there is a significant risk of future deaths."

West Mercia Police Superintendent Stuart Bill acknowledged the force's thoughts were with Alan's family and stated that PolSAs play an "important role" in missing persons searches. He confirmed that while there is no requirement for forces to have 24/7 PolSA capability, West Mercia Police is working with the College of Policing to increase the availability of qualified search advisers. The College of Policing has acknowledged the coroner's concerns and committed to working with police forces to ensure training and capability arrangements are appropriate.

Alan's mother also called for warning signs to be installed on the A4110, which she described as a "high-risk road," following her son's death. Herefordshire Council stated it would continue to "review and prioritise highway and drainage improvements across the county based on evidence," acknowledging that roads can be affected by flooding during prolonged heavy rainfall.