Nyla May Bradshaw was pulled from a golf course pond near Doncaster, an inquest has heard
Nyla May Bradshaw(Image: PA)
A seven-year-old girl, who had been diagnosed with autism, was found unresponsive in a pond whilst on a trip with her childminder, an inquest has now heard. Nyla May Bradshaw was pulled from a pond on Owston Golf Course, north of Doncaster, in South Yorkshire, and tragically died at Doncaster Royal Infirmary on March 30.
At an inquest in Doncaster on Thursday, Coroner’s officer Jane McDonnell described Nyla as being “a non-verbal seven-year-old girl who had been diagnosed with autism”. Ms McDonnell said Nyla was being looked after by a childminder and “during the course of the day she was taken out to a park in the Owston area of Doncaster”.
She continued: “During the course of the excursion she passed through a gap in the fence and approached woodland close to Owston Golf Course.”
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When Nyla went missing, Ms McDonnell said her childminder raised the alarm with the police and the seven-year-old’s family.
An extensive search with police drones and a helicopter began, however she was found unresponsive and face down in a pond on the golf course, the officer told Doncaster’s senior coroner Nicola Mundy.
After her death, children’s autism charity Little Rainbows Doncaster said: “Nyla was a beautiful, deeply loved seven-year-old girl who brought so much light to those around her. She was autistic and non-verbal, yet her presence spoke volumes — she touched more lives than words could ever express.”
Nyla May Bradshaw(Image: PA)
Little Rainbows added that Nyla was a “beautiful little girl who loved Christmas especially”. They said: “Our entire community is heartbroken, and our thoughts are firmly with her family as they face this unimaginable loss.
“For many of us as parents of autistic children, this is the fear we carry every single day — and today, that fear has become a reality for one of our own.”
Little Rainbows Doncaster later issued a statement saying Nyla’s death highlighted “the systemic issues that may have contributed to the circumstances in which this incident occurred” and “raises serious concerns about the adequacy, continuity and safety of care provision for disabled children outside of school settings”. It added: “That must never happen to another family again.”
The charity also said Nyla had complex needs and attended a specialist school where she required one-to-one supervision at all times. An online tribute page was set up for Nyla after the charity and, by Thursday, it had raised more than £20,000 to help Nyla’s family with the funeral and other costs.