A 13-year-old girl drowned in a North Yorkshire river while celebrating her birthday with her family, an inquest has heard, in a tragedy that unfolded within minutes of her parents preparing to leave a popular picnic spot.
Palwasha Akbar, from Bradford, had gone with her family to the River Wharfe at Burnsall on 31 May for a barbecue in what was the day before her 14th birthday. At the opening of an inquest in Northallerton on Thursday, Assistant North Yorkshire Coroner Alison Norton said the teenager “got into some difficulty in the water” and was retrieved before being taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, where she was confirmed dead. The provisional cause of death has been established as drowning.
Her father, Irshad Akbar, described the family’s devastation in terms that laid bare the cruelty of the timing. “We went there to celebrate her birthday, and her birthday turned into a death day. It is really shocking,” he said, calling his daughter a “God-gifted child” and saying the family was “going through agony.”
He said the incident happened at around 6.30pm as the family was preparing to head home. His two daughters and a niece had wandered off for a walk, and his wife followed but lost sight of them in a crowd. Within just two to three minutes, the girls had entered an area of deeper water. Both Palwasha and her 11-year-old sister got into difficulty. The younger girl was pulled to safety by a passer-by, but Palwasha could not be saved.
Palwasha, who was born in Pakistan on 1 June 2012 and had been living in Bradford, was one of at least 17 people who died in open-water incidents during the heatwave at the end of May. Her school, Bronte Girls’ Secondary Academy in Bradford, paid tribute to her. Acting principal Lyndsay Hall said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our much-loved students in a swimming accident. She was a valued and much-loved member of the school community.”
Her family described her in a statement as “a bright, kind, and caring young girl whose tragic passing has left her family, friends, and community heartbroken,” adding: “Palwasha will be remembered for her kindness, her beautiful spirit, her devotion to her friends and family, and the happiness she brought to those around her. Her life was taken far too soon, but her memory will live on forever in the hearts of everyone who loved her.” The family said she “loved reading, spending time with her friends, and bringing happiness to those around her” and was “a hardworking student with a warm smile, a gentle nature, and a caring heart.” A fundraising appeal has been established in her memory. A full inquest will take place at a later date.
