An 11-year-old girl has been found to have drowned in the River Thames after entering the water to retrieve a friend's shoe, an inquest has concluded.
Kaliyah Coa was with friends at Barge House Causeway in east London on March 31, 2025, when she went into the river. Nathan Guy, a resident near the jetty, witnessed the incident and called emergency services after seeing Kaliyah struggling in the water.
Pathologist professor Alan Bates determined that Kaliyah's cause of death was immersion, with water found in her airways and lungs. Coroner Graeme Irvine recorded an accidental death finding, concluding that Kaliyah had died from immersion in the River Thames.
Kaliyah's parents, grandmother, uncle, and aunts attended the inquest, where they received condolences from the coroner. The court heard that Kaliyah had been to a birthday party the day before and had asked her father if she could stay for a sleepover, which he initially declined but later agreed to after speaking with her friend's father.
The incident occurred after the children had made themselves breakfast and gone to a nearby park before visiting the causeway. Kaliyah's father stated that he was angry that no adult from the house had told him that the children were outside, and that he had reminded Kaliyah that the area was not a beach.
Coroner Mr Irvine emphasized that there was no evidence of "dark intent" or anything suspicious and that the other children should not be criticized for not entering the water to rescue Kaliyah. He noted that there is no Good Samaritan law in England and Wales, and that the incident was a tragic accident.
Kaliyah's aunt, Jade-Leanne Coa, had started a fundraiser after her niece's death, which has raised over £10,000. In a statement, she described Kaliyah as "the light of our lives" and said that the pain of her absence was indescribable, but that the love she inspired in others would always be held close.
