Doncaster girl, 7, was found unresponsive in pond during childminder trip, inquest hears
Nyla May Bradshaw died at Doncaster Royal Infirmary on March 30 after she was pulled from a pond on Owston Golf Course
A seven-year-old autistic girl was found unresponsive in a pond after she disappeared while out with a childminder, an inquest has heard.
Nyla May Bradshaw died at Doncaster Royal Infirmary on March 30 after she was pulled from a pond on Owston Golf Course, north of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
Coroner’s officer Jane McDonnell told an inquest opening in the city on Thursday that Nyla was “a non-verbal seven-year-old girl who had been diagnosed with autism”.
Ms McDonnell said Nyla was being looked after by a childminder and “during the course of the day she was taken out to a park in the Owston area of Doncaster”.
She said: “During the course of the excursion she passed through a gap in the fence and approached woodland close to Owston Golf Course.”
Ms McDonnell said a search began after the childminder raised the alarm with police and Nyla’s family.
The girl was found unresponsive and face down in a pond on the golf course, the officer told Doncaster’s senior coroner Nicola Mundy.
Nyla was taken to hospital but could be resuscitated, the court heard.
Ms Mundy fixed a provisional inquest date for December 8.
No cause of death was given during the five-minute hearing.
No members of Nyla’s family were at the hearing but the coroner asked for them to kept informed of the proceedings.
After her death, children’s autism charity Little Rainbows Doncaster said: “Nyla was a beautiful, deeply loved seven-year-old girl who brought so much light to those around her.
“She was autistic and non-verbal, yet her presence spoke volumes — she touched more lives than words could ever express. A beautiful little girl who loved Christmas especially.
“Our entire community is heartbroken, and our thoughts are firmly with her family as they face this unimaginable loss.”
The charity added: “For many of us as parents of autistic children, this is the fear we carry every single day — and today, that fear has become a reality for one of our own.”
Little Rainbows Doncaster later issued a statement saying Nyla’s death highlighted “the systemic issues that may have contributed to the circumstances in which this incident occurred” and “raises serious concerns about the adequacy, continuity and safety of care provision for disabled children outside of school settings”.
It added: “That must never happen to another family again.”
The charity said Nyla had complex needs and attended a specialist school where she required one-to-one supervision at all times.
An online tribute page was set up after the tragedy which had, by Thursday, raised more than £20,000 to help Nyla’s family with the funeral and other costs.
South Yorkshire Police described the extensive search operation mounted to find Nyla, which included drones and a helicopter.