A teenage boy who died after jumping into a river 'didn't know the risk' he put himself at because of a learning disorder, an inquest heard.Lotus Bowker, 15, had gone to the River Wyre in Lancashire with three friends after being repeatedly warned by his parents not to visit the area because he couldn't swim.An inquest into the teenager's death at Preston Coroners' Court, heard that Bowker immediately began to struggle when he entered the water close to Garstang Cricket Club.Lotus, from Kirkham, had a developmental learning disorder, which meant he had some communication issues and 'didn't know risk', but he tried to deal with the condition by 'copying his peers'. His mother, Andromeda, told the inquest that he was 'easily led'. It was also heard that the four boys had been drinking beer before jumping into the water, but Lotus only had a 'very low' amount in his system.PC Joshua Carr saw the four boys by the bridge and went over to speak to them just moments before they jumped in.'He asked them what they were doing,' the coroner said, reading from a statement. Lotus Bowker, 15, from Kirkham, Lancashire drowned after getting into trouble in the water near Garstang Cricket Club at 2.33pm on Saturday, May 17 An inquest into the teenager's death at Preston Coroners' Court, heard that Bowker immediately began to struggle when he entered the water'He warns them that this is very dangerous. He told them repeatedly to be safe.'One of the boys told police after the incident that 'Lotus had been saying all day that he was going to jump off the bridge' and said that 'he couldn't swim but he'd had some lessons' in primary school. Earlier in the day on May 17, Lotus and his friends had been on their way to the river when his father, David, passed the group in the car. David had assumed the boys were going to Ribby Hall to swim, and when he discovered their actual plan later, from one of the other parents, he was angry as he knew his son couldn't swim. The inquest heard that the boys had gone into the water close to a pumping station, with the depth of the water by the bridge being two metres. Three passers–by, who were walking along the riverbank at the time, raced to help when they realised that Lotus was drowning. Shelby Quigley, who had been doing her Duke of Edinburgh expedition at the time, was the first to enter the water.She managed to hold him at the top of the water but she was really struggling and she had to let him go,' the coroner said. Neil Quinn was walking past with his family when he saw Shelby attempting to save Lotus. He managed to get Lotus to the riverbank after he had been under the water for around eight minutes. The two then started CPR. Off–duty medic Steve Wiggans, who works at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, also happened to be passing as part of an unrelated search for a high–risk missing person.He used equipment from a police officer's first aid kit to remove vomit from Lotus's stomach and airway. Lotus was first taken to the Royal Preston Hospital and had a spontaneous return of circulation prior to arriving. He had been in cardiac arrest for 28 minutes and was also severely hypothermic with a core body temperature of just 30.6 Celsius. Lotus was then transferred to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. In the early hours of Sunday May 18 he suffered two more cardiac arrests.Doctors advised his parents that he would continue to worsen and had likely suffered a severe brain injury due to a lack of oxygen.He suffered a third cardiac arrest at 5.25am and was pronounced dead at 5.35am. The River Wyre near Garstang Cricket Club, where Lotus jumped into the river despite not being able to swimThe cause of death was recorded as drowning, with the developmental learning disorder listed as a contributory factor.After Lotus died, United Utilities carried out an investigation to determine what safety and security measures had been in place at the time.Steve Walker, who is in charge of Water Services for United Utilities in Lancashire, explained that there were 'nine or 10' warning signs at the site. The existing fencing, across land owned by United Utilities, the Environment Agency, Garstang Cricket Club and Wyre Council, was at a height of 4/5ft, but this has since been increased to two metres.The 'boxes' that Lotus's friends jumped from contain monitoring devices used by United Utilities to gauge water flow and determine if water can be extracted. Mr Walker said United Utilities would also be speaking with the Environment Agency to see if anything else could be done to prevent people from climbing onto the boxes.Area Coroner Emma Mather returned a conclusion of misadventure, which is when a death is caused by the unintended consequences of an intended act.'Lotus was potentially quite easily led, in part because of his Developmental Learning Disorder... and I also find that this affected his ability to weigh up risks,' the coroner said.'He has been encouraged by his friends to swim and jump but he was not pushed by his friends or bullied.'Following Lotus's tragic death, Maria Mercer, a friend of the young boy's family, launched a GoFundMe campaign in a bid to help 'give him the best send off'.Describing the devastating incident as an 'ordinary day' that 'quickly turned into an unimaginable nightmare', Ms Mercer added: 'Lotus was more than just a teenager – he was a son, a brother, a friend and a shining light in the lives of everyone who knew him.'His smile could lift a room, and his energy was infectious. He had dreams, laughter to share and a whole life ahead of him. That future was stolen in a moment that will never be forgotten.'Given the tragic circumstances of their son's death, Lotus's family are now seeking to warn other youngsters about the dangers associated with swimming in rivers and open water.Remembering the life of their 'beautiful boy', a statement from the family on the fundraising page read: 'Sadly missed by his Mummy, Daddy, his brothers and sister deeply. Words cannot describe the pain we are going through'.Lotus's father, David, has also paid tribute to his 'lovely boy', adding: 'He meant the world to me, my wife, daughter and four sons.'I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Those waters aren't meant to be swam in.'David has now advised any individuals, particularly young people, to 'think twice before visiting these dangerous locations', adding that they can often create 'costly cheap thrills' that should be avoided, irrespective of social pressures or a desire to feel included.