The family of a “deeply loved” Tyneside teenager who died after being swept out to sea fear her chances of survival were affected by “missed opportunities” with the emergency response, an inquest has heard. Edie Smart, 13, died on July 28 last year, four days after getting into difficulty in the water south of Whitley Bay beach where she had spent a “happy” day with a friend.
At an inquest into her death, which resumed at Newcastle Coroners’ Court on Monday, a statement produced by mum Louise was read to court on behalf of Edie’s family. In it, the grieving mum celebrated her daughter’s life.
The inquest – which is set to last five days – also heard evidence from those involved in the attempts to rescue Edie on the afternoon of July 24, 2025. In court, Edie’s family also took the chance to thank those who had worked to save her life – including “courageous” lifeguards Nathan Ramsey and Joseph Walker-Hardwick, who swam out into the sea and got her to a nearby lifeboat despite huge waves.
In that evidence, HM Coastguard’s search mission co-ordinator Rhys Stevens reflected that, “with the benefit of hindsight” he would have potentially called an ambulance at an earlier stage in the rescue effort.
The court also heard details of attempts to rescue Edie from what one rescuer called “the worst possible place for her to be” – with Ryan Douglas of HM Coastguard saying the area she had been found saw the sea and rocks combining to produce a terrifying “washing machine” effect that made the rescue extremely difficult.
Senior coroner Georgina Nolan read Edie’s family statement saying the teenager had been “fantastic” and a “deeply-loved addition to our family”. Her mum recalled how Edie had been a private person who had come to love K-pop music and had played a “central” role in many lives.
The statement also referred to how “she had a special way of making everyone she met feel welcome, valued and just that little bit better”. After Edie’s death the family received many messages of love, and Louise added: “Those messages demonstrated just how much of an impact Edie had made on the lives of others.”
She also highlighted how Edie had been someone who “knew her own mind” and loved her friends and family. She added: “Our hearts feel empty without her.”
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Edie’s mum also highlighted how they had become aware of potential missed opportunities. She continued: “We have been confronted with information which suggests there were missed opportunities that may have made a difference to her chance of survival.”
She said this had been “devastating and distressing” – and these concerns included around issues such as the safety signage at the location, south of Whitley Bay beach, where Edie was swept into the sea by incredibly rough seas.
Other potential issues, which are set to be explored at the inquest, include around the suitability of the emergency response and whether delays in communication between different agencies contributed to Edie’s death.
Previously, ahead of the inquest itself, the coroner ruled that article two of the Human Rights Act was engaged. This means that the inquest is to consider whether the systems in place to manage risk were enough to protect the right to life.
Following that prior hearing, the family’s solicitor Gareth Naylor wrote: “Edie’s family want to begin by paying tribute to the extraordinary bravery and humanity shown by the lifeguards and volunteers who entered the water and fought desperately to save her life.
“They placed themselves in significant danger, acting instinctively and selflessly in the face of crashing waves and reflected surf. The family has always made clear that those individuals did everything they could in the circumstances they were placed in, and their courage will forever be remembered with gratitude and respect.
“However, the family’s concerns do not lie with the bravery or intentions of those at the scene. Their concerns relate to the systems that were in place and whether those systems were sufficient to protect life.”
For Edie’s family, in court lawyer Andrew Scott took the opportunity to thank lifeguards Nathan Ramsey and Joseph Walker-Hardwick who were present at the hearing. They had been working at the Whitley Bay North and South lifeguard stations on the day in question.
The coroner heard evidence from Northumbria Police’s Det Sgt Danielle Grant as to the police investigation which ruled out third-party involvement and involved assessing the area where Edie was first swept into the sea. The officer also reported how passers-by on the Whitley Bay coast had jumped into action to attempt to save Edie by throwing life buoys towards her, but that she was unable to keep hold.
HM Coastguard search mission co-ordinator Rhys Stevens gave evidence. He was the duty officer for HM Coastguard, based at Bridlington in East Yorkshire, at the time Edie got into difficulty.
Quizzed by the coroner, he said a conversation between himself and a colleague when they decided to call for an ambulance took place after they received more information about Edie’s deteriorating condition in the water – around 10 minutes after the first 999 call came in.
The senior coroner asked him: “The initial 999 call came in at 20 past four. There’s a 13-year-old struggling in the water and she’s being smashed about [by the waves]. Why would an ambulance not be called immediately?”
He responded by referencing that his team was under significant pressure, fielding multiple calls. He said operators on the phone dealing with this incident “may have contributed to delays in calling the ambulance service”. Later, in response to Andrew Scott, he agreed that “with the benefit of hindsight” he may have called the ambulance earlier.
Peter Dawes, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s general manager for lifeguarding operations, had also given evidence and suggested it was normal that the lifeguards on Whitley Bay beach had not immediately been sent to the scene where Edie was struggling. They were in the event tasked to look for her, and it was first Nathan Ramsey and then Joseph Walker-Hardwick who swam out to rescue her.
The inquest heard how when brought to the beach the RNLI team struggled to land the “y-boat” – a smaller “daughter” lifeboat attached to the large boat from RNLI Tynemouth – on the beach due to the rough seas. At this stage, the court heard how the Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, Blyth Coastguard Rescue Team and HM Coastguard officer Ryan Douglas continued CPR and tried to resuscitate her.
The inquest continues and is scheduled to last a week. HM Coastguard, the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), Tynemouth Volunteer Life Brigade, North Tyneside Council, private ambulance firm Ambulnz and the RNLI are all formally interested parties in proceedings.
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