‘Kamau was an excellent young man with an amazing future
CORONER’S TRIBUTE TO TEENAGER WHO DIED IN RIVER ACCIDENT
A MUCH-LOVED teenager whose disappearance sparked a major manhunt died as the result of an accident, a coroner ruled.
Kamau McCallum-James, 18, from Fartown, was last seen on August 21.
His family said they had no idea why the shy but bright lad, who had recently won a place at university, had gone missing.
Nine days later, on August 30, his body was found in the river at the Colnebridge area.
Dr Mike Brown, who carried out a forensic post mortem, told the inquest that cold water immersion which could include drowning was the most probable cause of his death.
He explained to assistant coroner Angela Brocklehurst and Kamau’s parents, Phil James and Jacqueline McCallum, that entering cold water can cause shock and hyperventilation. Mr James said his son was a dreamer who loved rap and who was set to start a degree in gaming at a university in the North East, with the ultimate ambition of obtaining a position with an international company.
Bradford Coroner’s Court heard that Kamau, whose sight was impaired and who struggled to see without his glasses, was last seen alive by his mum at her home at 11pm on August 21 and when she awoke the next morning he was missing.
After he failed to respond to text messages, she reported him missing to West Yorkshire Police at 9.28pm on August 25.
Three days later detectives decided to upgrade the investigation as a high-risk missing person.
Kevin Robinson, a volunteer with Holme Valley Mountain Rescue, discovered his body on August 30.
The senior investigating officer, Det Insp Mark Catney, said an analysis of his mobile phone revealed it had become disconnected from the network at 3.30am and that was the time DI Catney believed Kamau had fallen into the water.
A man and a woman thought they had seen Kamau on August 25 on separate occasions but DI Catney said he was confident that Kamau had gone into the water at 3.30am and that these were mis-sightings. Summing up, Mrs Brocklehurst said: “I have no evidence that Kamau intended to take his own life.
“He was a talented young man with much to look forward to with no mental health issues that anyone was aware of.”
She added that: “I find that Kamau, on the balance of probabilities, fell into the River Colne on or about 3.30am on August 22, slipping on a grassy bank while it was dark and being unable to see clearly. My conclusion is that Kamau came by his death as the result of an accident.”
Addressing his parents directly she said of their only child: “Kamau appears to have been an excellent young man with an amazing future and was loved by all who knew him.”
I have no evidence that Kamau intended to take
his own life.