THE father of a teenager who drowned at a beauty spot in the Malvern Hills says more deaths will occur there unless people are discouraged from entering the water.

John O’Neill was speaking at the inquest into the death of his 17-year-old son Russell O’Neill, from Ronkswood, Worcester, who drowned while swimming with friends at Gullet Quarry in July.

Just six days later, 22-year-old Justas Juzenas, from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, died in the same water.

Extra signage and information such as map references to aid emergency services have been placed there since, but Mr O’Neill thinks more could still be done.

“Gullet Quarry is a beautiful place and a dangerous place,” he told the inquest.

“People need to be aware of that.

“If something is not done before spring comes there will be more deaths.

“There is no discouragement from going in the water.”

The inquest heard that his son had travelled to the quarry, on the Worcestershire and Herefordshire border, with two friends around noon on Saturday, July 6.

One friend, Jay Roberts, said he wasn’t really aware of any danger signs when they arrived.

They decided to swim the width of the quarry lake but after getting about two thirds of the way across, Mr O’Neill began to tire.

“I didn’t know if he was a good swimmer or not,” said Mr Roberts.

“There were warm and cold patches. Russell began to panic and wanted to turn back for some reason but we were closer to the other bank.”

He said he tried to keep Mr O’Neill afloat but he was panicking and pushed him away.

Another friend, Kieran Scollan, said he noticed Mr O’Neill was in trouble and grabbed him by the arms and tried to push him.

He says he shouted to a group of onlookers for help, saying: “I might have told them he can’t swim.”

The emergency services were called but it was too late to save him and he died.

Mr O’Neill was a promising footballer who used to attend Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College, Worcester.

His mother, Tina O’Neill, told the hearing it was her son’s dream to one day play for Liverpool Football club. 

She said he was a fun loving, fit and healthy young man who could swim, but was not a strong swimmer. 

Six days later Mr Juzenas drowned at the same quarry.

The inquest heard he had visited the spot with his girlfriend, Natasha Korvelis.

She told the hearing she was aware of the death of Mr O’Neill just a few days earlier but decided to visit anyway, saying: “We heard it was a beautiful spot.”

Soon after arriving Mr Juzenas went for a swim in the water. 

“He decided to swim in the lake,” said Ms Korvelis. 

“He was a fit man and I was not worried.”

Soon afterwards, though, she heard him shouting for help and raised the alarm. 

Onlooker Claire Burras said parts of the water were warm, others freezing.

After swimming below the surface to look for Mr Juzenas when he disappeared she said: “You couldn’t see down there. 

“It was as if someone had switched the lights off. It was pitch black.”

Stephen Bound, director of Malvern Hills Conservators, the body which manages Gullet Quarry, said five signs were in place at the time of the deaths, plus a lifesaving ring.

The conservators met the fire service after the deaths and commissioned the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) to carry out a report, the results of which will be released in due course.

He said “cold water” signs were now in place together with the grid reference and postcode of the quarry for the public to give to the emergency services.

He denied the warning signs were obscured by vegetation at the time of the summer deaths.

Five people have now lost their life at Gullet Quarry in just under 20 years.

Assistant Herefordshire coroner Roland Wooderson said it is “perhaps easy when one is fit and young to become complacent”.

He said short of closing the quarry down, no-one can be certain there won’t be a repeat.

“It seems clear to me that the cold water was contributory," he said.

“I am very impressed that numerous people tried to assist the men.”

He said the medical cause of death in both cases was drowning.

  • Do you think the coroner is right is saying only closure of the quarry will guarantee there will be no more deaths? Add a comment at the end of this story of email your opinion by clicking here.