Chiedza Nyanjowa, 15, was swept out to sea at Formby beach on Bank Holiday Monday after going into the water to fetch a ball - bystanders performed CPR for 25 minutes, an inquest heard16:47, 03 Jun 2026A 15-year-old girl drowned after going into the water to get her ball during a family trip to the beach.‌Chiedza Nyanjowa was playing volleyball with two of her cousins at Formby beach in Merseyside when she went into the sea at around 3pm on Bank Holiday Monday (May 25). Chiedza and her 11-year-old cousin were both swept out away from the shore as they attempted to get the ball, an inquest at Bootle Town Hall heard today.‌The court was told how the teenage girl, from Cheshire, had been visiting her auntie at her home in Bolton during the half term and was unable to swim. Before the family visited Formby beach, Chiedza had been told to stay out of the water due to her inability to swim, the Liverpool Echo reports. The inquest heard how her auntie lost sight of the children as they played due to the volume of people during the busy Bank Holiday.‌As the two youngsters tried to get the ball from the ocean, as they had several times that afternoon, a wave pulled them out with the water reaching Chiedza's chin and her cousin's neck.The court heard: "The water depth increased, quickly reaching her cousin's neck and Chiedza's chin. Chiedza was submerged and she tried to climb onto her cousin, submerging her."‌Chiedza was told to hold onto the ball as a flotation device while her cousin went to get help. However, the inquest heard it took 15 minutes for her cousin to get help.The 15-year-old was pulled from the water and found to be unconscious before three members of the public, including one off-duty doctor and two off-duty nurses - began performing CPR.One of the off-duty nurses previously told reporters that the three members of the public performed CPR for around 25 minutes before the air ambulance landed. The inquest heard how the air ambulance landed at the beach at 3.35pm before it set off at 4.23pm and landed at Alder Hey Hospital at 4.33pm.‌Despite the best efforts of medical professionals and the members of the public, Chiedza died in hospital on Saturday, May 30.Area coroner for Sefton, St Helens and Knowsley told the court: "Chiezda was aged 15. On the 25th of May 2026 she was at Formby Beach playing with a ball. The ball entered the water and she went in to get it, but was pushed out by the waves."She was recovered from the water unconscious. Bystanders performed CPR and she was transferred to Alder Hey Hospital. Despite care and treatment, she sadly died on the 29th of May 2026 as a consequence of a brain injury caused by her submersion in the water."‌Ms Wheeler concluded her death was the result of misadventure, with a post-mortem recording her death as a brain injury as a result of drowning. She said: "This is the unintended result of a deliberate act of going into the water to retrieve the ball."She described the death as a "tragedy" and offered her sincere condolences to the family. The coroner said: "I am so so sorry for your loss, I cannot imagine what you are going through."Ms Wheeler also raised concerns about illegal parking in the surrounding area and the potential impact that this could have caused emergency services in accessing the beach. However, she stated there was no evidence that this caused or contributed to Chiedza's death.‌Ms Wheeler said: "I am extremely concerned that selfish and illegal parking on single yellow lines could have an impact on emergency services in future deaths."The coroner decided against writing a prevention of future death report due to there being no one who could reasonably fix the parking issues around Formby beach, but condemned drivers.She also commended the acts of bystanders who she said could have "frozen" in the moment, but instead fought to try and save the life of the teenager.Article continues belowShe said: "I want to offer my commendation for the bystanders who helped and the condemnation for the selfish, inconsiderate drivers who are parking illegally for the sake of have to avoid walking a short distance [from the beach]."