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LAKE HORROR
Finley's death was a tragic accident, a coroner said
- Holly Christodoulou
- Tom Hussey
AN 18-month-old boy died by drowning in a lake at his family's country manor estate, an inquest heard.
Tiny Finley Howell Sanders was pulled from the water 45 minutes after his frantic mother called police to report him missing.
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An inquest heard the youngster disappeared from his mum's sight while staying at Maesycrugiau Manor in Carmarthenshire, south west Wales.
CCTV captured in the early evening of May 26, 2021, showed Finley walk through garden gates that were left open by dogs.
He walks towards the pond area but didn't return in what senior coroner Paul Bennett said was a "tragic accident".
The toddler was later discovered in a lake and pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of May 27.
The inquest heard that Finley had been staying at his mother's family home and it was "common" for him to spend time playing in his great-grandmother Mary's room.
On the day of the tragedy, his mum Alexandria Lewis and Mary believed he was with the other person.
His mother had helped elder brother Harry with his homework and went for a lie down - and thought Finley was playing in Mary's room.
But the inquest heard grandmother Mary thought he was with his mum.
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When Alexandria woke up she went to Mary's room and discovered he wasn't there and the family frantically began looking for him in the property and grounds.
Coroner's officer Hayley Rogers said: “At 10pm on Wednesday, May 26, police received an emergency call from a distressed female stating that she was unable to find her 18-month-old son at Maesycrugiau Manor.
DAD'S HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE
Finley's grieving father described his late son as "the kindest, most beautiful boy in the world."
"He was only 18 months old but he was already showing such incredible intelligence," Ashley told The Sun Online.
"He was very advanced for his age and would have grown up to be a very special person, I have no doubt."
The anguished lorry driver explained he had lost his sidekick who "loved" to spend time with his father roaming around on diggers.
"Finley was my best pal," Ashley said. "Whatever I did, he wanted to join in and help me.
"If I was fixing the car, he’d be there at my side passing me spanners.
"If I was changing batteries for his toys, he’d be handing me screwdrivers or trying to do it himself.
"He was such a bright boy, well ahead for his young age.
"He was a super-quick learner and everything fascinated him. He was funny and kind. He’d make you laugh all the time. He was so bubbly and full of joy."
“A search within the grounds ensued and at 10.45pm the child, identified as Finley Howell Sanders, was found unresponsive in one of the lakes within the grounds.”
Miss Rogers added that despite the best efforts of the emergency services Finley, from Clydach in Swansea, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Paying tribute to his "bubbly" son, Finley's dad Ashley Sanders said he was "the kindest, most beautiful boy in the world."
Speaking to The Sun in 2021, the lorry driver added: "He was only 18 months old but he was already showing such incredible intelligence.
"He was very advanced for his age and would have grown up to be a very special person, I have no doubt."
Dyfed-Powys Police investigated and found that it "was a sudden and unexpected death".
There was nothing to suggest foul play or third party involvement.
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Acting senior coroner Paul Bennett said Finley died in a "tragic accident" that "sadly and simply" was "down to a sequence of events that no one intended to happen."
Mr Bennett heard the post mortem gave Finley's cause of death as drowning and accidental at the Llanelli inquest
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