Four teenagers killed in Wales car crash died from drowning, inquest hears

Their overturned, partially submerged car was discovered in Gwynedd, north Wales

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Holly Bishop

By Holly Bishop


Published: 29/11/2023

- 10:56

Updated: 29/11/2023

- 11:32

All four were pronounced dead at the scene when they were discovered last week

The four teenage boys who died in a car crash in Wales were found to have died of drowning, an inquest has heard.

Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17 and Hugo Morris, 18, were pronounced dead at the scene when they were discovered last week.


The four boys were found in an overturned, partially submerged car in Gwynedd, north Wales.

A major search was launched for the A-Level students after they did not return home from a camping trip.

WATCH NOW: Wales Police statement on the crash

The teens had been missing since Sunday, 19 November.

An upturned silver Ford Fiesta was discovered in the water two days later.

An inquest opening heard that post-mortem examinations on all four boys showed the provisional cause of death to be drowning.

Kate Robertson, senior coroner for north west Wales, said: "All four were travelling in a motor vehicle along the A4085 when the vehicle left the road, leading to their deaths."

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Robertson told the hearing that the police investigation was "ongoing".

"Only when it's complete will a full inquest take place," she said.

"At this time, speculation is unhelpful and compassion will achieve more than media curiosity."

The mother of one of the four teenage boys issued a heartbreaking statement on her loss on the day his body was discovered.

Harvey's mother, Crystal Owen has since released a statement on her grief.

She said: "I feel like I’m in a nightmare I wish I could wake up from but I’m not.

\u200bThe car was left on a road in Garreg, near TremadogThe car was left on a road in Garreg, near TremadogPA

"I just wanted to say I do appreciate people’s kindness but no amount of messages is going to help me overcome this.

"Nothing will make this nightmare go away."

Supt Owain Llewellyn, of North Wales Police, said a member of the public reported that the vehicle had left the road.

He went on: "Police officers attended and located a Ford Fiesta vehicle upside down, partially submerged in water.

"Tragically, the bodies of four young males were recovered from within the vehicle."

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