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Inquest due on girl's pond death Girl, 11, drowned 'feeding geese'
(about 9 hours later)
An inquest into the death of an 11-year-old whose body was found in a Carmarthenshire pond is due to begin. An 11-year-old girl's body was found submerged in a pond by her foster father shortly after she went to feed some geese, an inquest has heard.
Kirsty Leigh Thomas was discovered in the gardens of a house at Rhos near Llandysul in June, and was later pronounced dead in hospital. Kirstey Thomas, from Aberdare in the Cynon Valley, was living with foster carers in Rhos, Carmarthenshire, when she died on 24 June.
Dyfed-Powys Police said they were treating her death as unexplained, but there were no suspicious circumstances. She was found by her foster father in a pond but despite extensive efforts to revive her, she died.
After Kirsty Leigh's death, her family spoke of their devastation, saying she had always had "a happy face". The coroner at the Llanelli inquest recorded a verdict of accidental death.
Paramedics were called to the house in Rhos just before 1830 BST on Sunday 24 June, after reports that a child had fallen into a pond. The court heard how Kirstey had been playing roller hockey just hours before her death and was in good spirits.
She will be in our thoughts and our hearts always Kirsty Leigh's family In a statement Detective Constable Adam Chiffi said Kirstey had enjoyed playing in the tournament "immensely".
Kirsty Leigh was later pronounced dead at the West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen. He saw the yellow kayak and oar in the water. It was upright, but full of water Detective Constable Adam Chiffi
In a statement released after her death, her family said: "The death of a baby or child is the most devastating experience any parent ever has to bear. As she made her way to her friend's house to return a t-shirt, she and her foster father Trevor Wanmer were talking and re-enacting some of the barging that had taken place on the hockey field earlier, the inquest heard.
"Given that our daughter had so many people who cared for her, and loved her, the devastation is being felt by many people. They parted company when he went to feed a pony and Kirstey went to feed the geese with some stale bread she had been given.
"Our daughter loved life and always had a happy face and kind words for everyone she met. Later he saw the t-shirt draped on a fence around the pond and the gate was open. He alerted his wife then went to the pond and noticed one of two kayaks usually on the water was missing.
"She will be in our thoughts and our hearts always." Mr Wanmer checked the pond which is the size of half a football pitch.
A post-mortem examination was carried out and an inquest opened and adjourned by the Carmarthenshire coroner John Owen. Det Con Chiffi said: "He saw the yellow kayak and oar in the water. It was upright, but full of water."
I have no reason to believe that the cause of death was anything but drowning Det Con Chiffi
It was then that he spotted something in the water, the inquest heard.
He waded in up to waist deep and bumped into Kirstey's body.
He carried her to the bank and tried to revive her along with help from his wife, a neighbour, a doctor and paramedics.
Despite prolonged efforts, they could not revive her and she was pronounced dead at the West Wales General Hospital in Carmarthen.
The inquest heard that Mr and Mrs Wanmer had concerns that Kirstey was sometimes unaware of danger.
Det Con Chiffi said she had walked out on a road without looking shortly before her death, and on another occasion almost collided with someone on a swing, which missed her by millimetres.
Our daughter loved life and always had a happy face and kind words for everyone she met Kirstey's family statement
He added: "She was lacking a little bit of common sense."
A post mortem examination could not ascertain the cause of death but the coroner said the resuscitation techniques may have obliterated the "classic signs of drowning".
"I have no reason to believe that the cause of death was anything but drowning," said coroner John Owen.
In a statement made at the time of Kirstey's death, her family said she had "loved life" and spoke of the Wanmers' "devastation" at the accident.
The statement read: "The death of a baby or child is the most devastating experience any parent ever has to bear.
"Our daughter loved life and always had a happy face and kind words for everyone she met."