A TEENAGER drowned at a beauty spot while trying to rescue his friends from the rapid currents around a waterfall, an inquest heard.
Despite being a strong swimmer Ali Ahmed, 19, was pulled beneath the water while swimming at Lower Bruar Falls, near Blair Atholl, in Perthshire, on July 13.
Poplar Coroner’s Court heard Mr Ahmed, a part time fast food worker from East Ham in London, had been trying to help a struggling friend before strong currents pulled him into a cave area near the waterfall.
Friends then tried to save him before he disappeared into a deep pool inside the cave and drowned.
His friend, Zein Shivli Khalifa, 19, told the inquest they were with a group of eight others on their first friends’ holiday when the tragedy happened.
Mr Khalifa said people were jumping into the water when they arrived at the popular swimming spot in the early afternoon.
He said: “A guy said it’s not that deep but be careful of the current.
“He said stay away from the cave because there was an area three metres deep.”
A group of friends including Mr Khalifa and Mr Ahmed jumped into the water, then got out and tried to convince another friend to do the same.
Mr Khalifa said: “It took a long time trying to convince our other friend to jump in, then he just ran and jumped.
“As soon as he jumped he went under. He swam back up and he realised the current was pushing him towards the cave and he started panicking.”
Mr Khalifa was also in the water and described trying to help the friend.
He said: “I grabbed him but I couldn’t swim because I was holding him and the current pushed us to the shallow end of the cave.”
Mr Khalifa said he managed to help the friend to safety then realised Mr Ahmed had disappeared into the deep end of the cave.
He added: “Ali thought both of us were drowning so he was trying to help us and I think the current pushed him into the cave or something.
“I went inside trying to help him, I grabbed onto him but he was not saying anything.
“When I came out I thought he might have been choking on water and that’s why he wasn’t speaking.”
The inquest heard Ali’s body was returned to London and identified by his sister, Regea Begum, on July 18.
Coroner Mary Hassell said: “I have no hesitation in saying that was an accident.”
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