Family will never know how boy, 16, died as third party 'can't be ruled out'

A family whose 16-year-old son drowned in a river may never find out how he died after a coroner said it was "not possible to rule out" someone else was involved in his death.

Jonty Evans was reported missing on the last day of August 2024, with his body found on the evening of the next day in the River Weaver in in Nantwich, Cheshire, after a huge search operation involving thermal imaging and drones.

The teen had spent the night out drinking with his brother and friends, and was last seen at around 12.50am on August 31. Four minutes later, he was caught on CCTV entering the Mill Island park alone, and was not seen alive again. At 1.29am, his mobile phone disconnected from its cell site.

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Cheshire coroner Victoria Davies said: "On August 30, 2024, Jonty Evans was out in Nantwich town centre, initially with his brother and friends, but with different groups and friends throughout the evening and night.

"At around 12.50am on August 31, Jonty left the people he was with and was seen on CCTV entering the park alone shortly after, at 12.54am. Jonty was not seen by any eyewitness, or on CCTV after this point. He was reported missing on August 31 and a police search was commenced.

"Jonty was found in the River Weaver by police divers on September 1, 2024 and his death was confirmed. It is likely that Jonty entered the river between 12.54am, when he was last seen on CCTV, and 1.29am on August 31, that being the time his mobile phone, which was in his pocket when he was found, stopped being connected to the mobile phone cell site.

"It has not been possible to establish on available evidence how it is likely that Jonty came to be in the river. On the evidence, it is possible that Jonty fell into the river by accident and was unable to self-rescue, perhaps due to a level of significant intoxication.

"It is also not possible to rule out that there was third party involvement in how he came to be in the river."

Officers involved in the investigation arrested two 16-year-olds from Crewe on suspicion of section 47 assault in the week following Jonty's death, but they were later released without charge, Liverpool Echo reports.

The coroner concluded: "Jonty Evans died as a result of immersion in water. It is not possible to establish how he likely came to be in the water."

Jonty's family paid tribute to him as news of his tragic death broke last year. In a statement, released via Cheshire Police, they said: "No words will ever describe the loss of our son. He was not only a son, but a friend and a brother.

"Jonty was compassionate, sensitive, brave and full of light, when he smiled it was as mountains smile to see the spring. His warm face greets me when I fall asleep and he's there the moment I wake up.

"You were ripped away from having a full and rich life and we were stolen the chance of ever having to see you grow old. This pain in our chests will never leave us and will forever be within our hearts because we love Jonty and that's something no one can take away from us.

"Tonight, and tomorrow and for the rest of our lives, we will look for you in the stars and through sunsets and remember who you were, until we meet again."