Teenage boxer Frank Varey drowned in River Dee Chester despite efforts to save him, inquest told

The inquest into the death of 16-year-old Frank Varey, who drowned in the River Dee on July 22 last year, was heard at Warrington Coroner's Court on Wednesday, May 18.

Frank Varey.

Assistant coroner Jean Harkin said the teenage boxer, from Halton, Lancaster, had gone with friends to Chester that day and the group was seen jumping in and out of the river at a blue jetty by Chester Rowing Club to keep cool on what was a hot day.

A group of them then decided to swim across the River Dee to the Handbridge side of the river. Frank Varey – who, the inquest heard, could not swim – decided to join them and managed to get most of the way across the river before visibly getting into difficulty.

Frank Varey. Picture: England Boxing.

Witnesses reported seeing the 16-year-old struggling, shouting for help and putting his arms in the air, as friends and bystanders tried to save him.

One of them had tried to grab Frank Varey, but the current "was too strong", the inquest heard.

Emergency services were called at 2.27pm and police, fire and ambulance teams were deployed to the scene, along with underwater rescue units, while a cordon was set up around the area.

Police cordoned off The Groves on July 22 as emergency teams searched for 16-year-old Frank Varey.

Tragically, the body of Frank Varey was found by underwater search teams at 7.58pm, with his body snagged on items on the water bed.

He was taken by ambulance to the Countess of Chester Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A post-mortem examination had concluded Frank Varey had died by drowning. There were no signs of any alcohol or drugs in his system, or any pre-existing injuries.

The search for Frank Varey on July 22, 2021.

Sarah-Jane Varey, Frank Varey's mother, had provided the coroner with a statement in which she said Frank "had always been a fit and healthy child" and he had been boxing since the age of five, and was "extremely talented and showed great promise".

He had gone on to compete for England Boxing, winning many medals, and was always conscious of what he would put into his body, so didn't smoke, drink or take drugs.

On the day of the tragic incident, Sarah-Jane Varey received a call from her husband, Frank Varey senior, that Frank Varey had been swimming and drowned.

The last time she had seen her son was earlier that morning, before she headed on a day out, and he said he was going to Chester with some friends, which was not out of character.

Mrs Varey explained her son had not had any formal swimming lessons and, to the best of her knowledge, he had not been open-water swimming before.

She added Frank "lived and breathed boxing", training daily, and was "happy and fun-loving".

She concluded: "As a family, we are still trying to come to terms with Frank being taken away from us so young."

The coroner recorded a conclusion of accidental death.