Teen drowned while rafting after foot got stuck in rocks
A YOUTH who drowned while whitewater rafting on a school trip got his foot caught in rocks, an inquest heard.
Matthew Hitchman, 17, died despite the heroic efforts of schoolmates, who jumped into the fast-flowing water to try to wrestle him free.
The sixth-former at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, Bucks, fell overboard on an expedition to Ecuador. Matthew’s father thanked those who tried to free him during the trip on the Hollin River. He told the Beaconsfield inquest: “We are all still devastated that he was taken so young. We pay tribute to those who so heroically tried to save Matthew, putting their own lives at risk.” Coroner Crispin Butler said: “It was a coincidence of the boat coming into that position in the proximity of the rocks. Matthew couldn’t extricate himself.” Verdict: Misadventure.