Inquest is opened into death of city student

AN inquest has been opened into the tragic death of an 18-year-old who went missing after he went swimming in Plymouth Sound last year, sparking a huge emergency service search.

- By CARL EVE

Michael Oppong Yeboah went missing after he went swimming with a group at East Hoe beach on Monday, March 18, 2024. Concerns were raised when he did not return to land.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to the scene, near Madeira Road, and a large-scale search was conducted in the early hours of the following morning.

At the time, a police investigator said: "From our enquiries, we know that a group of people have spent the evening together before going down to the shoreline for a swim. The rest of the group returned to land but Michael did not. Specialist search and dive teams have searched the area but have not located him."

It was not until a body was found in water near Devonport Dockyard on the morning of April 10 last year that Michael's family were informed of the tragic news of the discovery of a body.

During a short hearing held on February 21 by senior coroner Philip Spinney at Exeter County Hall, it was stated that Michael was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, and resided at the time of his passing at the University of Plymouth’s Radnor Halls of Residence, Gilwell Street.

Mr Spinney told the court that Michael was pronounced deceased on the morning of April 10, 2024, and at the time of his death he was single and a student.

The coroner said the circumstances of Michael’s death were that, on that morning,"a body was recovered from the water at Devonport Dockyard. Sadly, the identification process later confirmed it was Michael. The cause of death given is immersion in cold water"