Mum 'can't stop replaying' son's last river moments

A coroner has concluded that a student "could not be saved" before he drowned in a river in York.

Evan d'Andilly, 19, entered the River Ouse from a bridge in March 2025 after a night out with friends and was heard calling for help at least 17 times over 20 minutes until he disappeared, his inquest heard.

The hearing at North Yorkshire Coroner's Court was told police officers on the bank were unable to reach the University of York student while he attempted to stay afloat.

Evan's mother, Lorraine d'Andilly, said she "can't stop replaying" her son's last moments and described the "excruciating pain" of his loss.

The family, from Scunthorpe, now intend to request a Prevention of Future Deaths report regarding the emergency response protocols for incidents in the River Ouse.

A fire service rescue vessel sent to the scene had to be deployed from Selby, the inquest heard, and the first to arrive was the volunteer-run York Rescue Boat.

Lorraine said that the charity's volunteers were left to "fill the gap" in water search and rescue provision left by the emergency services and said there was "no accountability" when things went wrong.

Call logs suggested York Rescue Boat crews were made aware of the incident between 03:08 and 03:11, after Evan had entered the water at 03:03. He could no longer be seen after 03:23.

The fire service's vessel was notified at 03:07 and arrived at 03:37.

"I cannot begin to describe the totally devastating impact Evan's death has had on our family," Lorraine said.

"For each and every one of us, he was a central part of our world and was enormously loved.

"For the whole of his tragically short life, he brought light into our lives - his smile lit up a room, his laughter was infectious, his sense of humour was quirky and intelligent. He had a gentle soul and he loved unconditionally."

She added that the thoughts of how "terrified" Evan must have been in his last moments made "life almost unbearable".

"I replay Evan's last 20 minutes over and over. It is torture. I picture him being pulled along in that cold, dark river, shouting for help."

She added: "I'm so incredibly proud of him, but also so angry – that's hard to deal with.

"I hope that as time passes I'll be able to focus on all the happy memories of Evan, but right now that feels like something in a very distant future."

Senior coroner Jonathan Leach recorded a narrative conclusion.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "First and foremost, our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Evan d'Andilly.

"The tragic death of Evan is felt deeply by all our officers and staff who, under extremely difficult circumstances, tried to save him.

"The findings of the inquest will be carefully reviewed by all the emergency services and partner agencies involved in the response."

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