Passer-by tells of desperate bid to save Spencer Hurst in pool tragedy
A passer-by has told how he plunged into open water as he tried to save a drowning schoolboy swept under a ‘dangerous’ lake.
John Tasker was at the Walsall lake when he heard teenagers frantically shouting as they lost sight of their friend Spencer Hurst.
He rushed to the worried group of boys before removing his clothes and flinging himself into Ryders Hayes Mere, Black Country Coroners Court was told.
As the distressed youngsters pointed to where Spencer had slipped underwater, Mr Tasker battled across the 18ft deep lake.
In a statement read to the inquest, Mr Tasker said: “I was using my arms and legs to feel for Spencer, however, I could not find him.”
He then grabbed a fishing rod to delve deeper into the Pelsall lake but emergency services arrived and ended his 25-minute search.
MORE: How the tragedy unfolded
