Sheffield footballer Khizar Hayat drowned jumping from bridge into Ulley reservoir with friends - inquest
and live on Freeview channel 276
Khizar Hayat, aged 19, disappeared under the water at Ulley reservoir after plunging off a bridge on September 22.
The student grabbed onto a friend in an effort to stay afloat after entering the water and was ‘immediately in shock, panicking and shouting’, the BBC reported.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdDoncaster Coroner’s Court heard how Khizar – who has been described as “lovely” and “kind” by friends and family – had been spending time with friends at the waterside when they decided to jump in.
Khizar went second.
However, Khizar immediately began to panic, and was said to have grabbed onto a friend while trying to stay afloat, which inadvertently pushed his friend’s head under the water as well.
Senior coroner Nicola Mundy said at the inquest: "Despite being asked to calm down, his panic overtook him and no doubt was endangering the life of the person who he was with at the time.
“The friends had to watch as Khizar went under the water a few more times before he completely disappeared.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdEmergency services were called at 5.55pm. After an extensive search, Khazir’s body was found at 9.15pm.
Ms Mundy heard a pathologist's report which stated that Mr Hayat claimed to be a “relatively good swimmer” with his family having no concerns about him and friends travelling to the reservoir.
Further, a police officer at the time asked some of Khazir’s friends how he should jump in to the water. The 19-year-old was reportedly told he should ‘cannonball' off the bridge.
The court heard that some of his friends had been smoking cannabis on the day that the tragedy struck.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdMs Mundy recorded his death as drowning by result of a misadventure. Police had previously ruled there were no suspicious circumstances in his death.
Khizer was a member of Darnall Football Academy, where he had played since he was 12 years old.
More than £6,000 was raised in his memory through an online crowdfunding appeal, which was donated to fund water pumps and wells in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ghana.
Teams in the Sheffield & District Junior Sunday Football League held a minute's silence for Khizar ahead of their games after his death.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.