Schoolboy, 15, froze to death after missing bus in Devon, inquest hears

A 15 year-old boy died of hypothermia after missing his bus to school on a “bitterly cold” day.

Daniel Chambers disappeared after setting off from his home in Tipton St John in Devon on the morning of 13 December last year.

An extensive police search was launched after his mother reported him missing at 4.40pm but the teenager’s body was only found three days later on marshland close to the River Otter.

Whisky was found in his rucksack and tests showed his blood alcohol was just over the legal limit for driving. His phone and one trainer were never found.

An inquest at Exeter’s County Hall heard Daniel may have removed some of his clothing as a result of “paradoxical undressing” due to severe hypothermia.

Coroner Lydia Brown, sitting at Exeter’s County Hall, recorded a verdict of accidental death.

She said: “There was no physical assault or medical condition, but there was evidence Daniel had died because he became hypothermic as a result of being exposed on an extremely wet and cold day.

“His body and clothing were wet and the environment was very cold so, on the balance of probabilities, he died of exposure after becoming confused.

“There is nothing in this terrible sequence of events to lead me to the conclusion other than this was an accidental death.”

Daniel, a pupil at King’s School in Ottery St Mary, appeared his “normal happy, quiet self” in the days leading up to his disappearance, according to friends.

He was seen walking with “purpose” shortly after the school bus had left his home village at around 8.30am.

At around 1.15pm he was spotted near the river by a dog walker, who said the boy was “talking to himself” and “in his own little world.”

Another dog walker saw Daniel on muddy ground at 2.30pm and described the conditions as “bitterly cold.”

He was reported missing by his mother at around 4.40pm but his body was not found until 11.45am on 16 December.

Daniel had been reported missing by his mother on 13 December at about 4.40pm.

Police investigations revealed he had last used his mobile phone at home at midday, and the last transmission was from a mast near his home around 2.20pm.

His body was located by member of the search and rescue team at the bottom of a tree following a search along the river on 16 December at 11.45am.

A postmortem report found that the alcohol found in his blood may have been a factor in his disappearance and the hypothermia.

Detective Sergeant Charlotte Heath described Daniel’s death as a “truly tragic accident” and told the inquest: ”It was very, very cold during that week.

“There are a number of areas where there is a lot of water at that time of year.”

Daniel’s parents Mary and Jonathan, who are both teachers, said in a statement that he was “all you could have asked of a son.”

“He was kind, clever, thoughtful, caring and loving and made us all smile with his fun loving nature. He was a beautiful person in every way.

“Daniel talked about his future, such as visiting his older sister, Melissa, at university, and partying with her, travelling abroad and possibly joining the forces as a career.”

“His death was a tragic accident and a loss of his life which was just beginning. We will never see him grown into manhood, fall in love and achieve amazing things. The world has lost a wonderful young man.

“We cannot comprehend or accept life without him, and our world will never be the same again.”