An inquest has been formally opened into the death of a teenage boy in hospital five days after an incident during this year’s Appleby Horse Fair.
Cumbria police officers and North West Ambulance Service staff responded at around 6.40pm on Friday, June 9, following an incident which occurred on Long Marton Road, close to the junction with Belgravia, on the town’s outskirts.
Denis Ward, 15, was reported to have suffered a head injury. Police officers first on the scene provided initial first aid before handing over care to paramedics.
Denis was transported from the scene by air ambulance and was initially described as being critically ill in hospital. Tragically he died in the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, almost a week later.
His funeral was held on Tuesday this week. Floral tributes, Irish flags and photographs of the youngster, along with Rolls-Royce vehicles, white vans and white horses, formed part of a cortege in his home city of Bradford, West Yorkshire.
An inquest into the death of Denis was opened this morning at Cockermouth Coroners’ Court.
Dr Nicholas Shaw, assistant coroner for Cumbria, confirmed that Denis had died on June 14.
“Denis was attending the Appleby Horse Fair with his grandparents and on Friday, June 9, he fell, we understand, from the rear end of a horse trailer, sustaining serious injuries which despite treatment in James Cook Hospital proved fatal,” said Dr Shaw.
Evidence of identification was given by the teen’s father, stated Dr Shaw, who adjourned the hearing. This will resume on a future date to be fixed.
- Police had appealed for witnesses to come forward as they began an investigation into what caused the incident. A man arrested on June 11, at that stage on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, was later released under investigation pending further enquiries.
