An inquest found that 11-year-old Lilly Angel Rodgers suffered a fatal chest injury after encountering a concealed branch or root.
TRURO, England — A coroner has ruled the death of 11-year-old Lilly Angel Rodgers an accident after an inquest heard that she suffered a fatal chest injury while playing with friends on mudflats at Wacker Quay in Cornwall.
The Sept. 21 inquest examined Lilly’s death on Aug. 16, 2025, at the riverside location near Torpoint. Medical evidence presented at the hearing indicated that a sharp branch or tree root concealed beneath the mud most likely caused a deep wound to her chest, damaging a pulmonary artery. The medical cause of death was recorded as penetrating chest trauma. Senior Coroner Andrew Cox concluded that there were no suspicious circumstances and recorded an accidental death.
Lilly, from Newton Abbot, Devon, had been spending time at Wacker Quay with two friends and accompanying adults. The children were familiar with the area and were playing roughly 50 metres from shore near a muddy bank leading toward a channel in the River Lynher, according to accounts of evidence presented at the inquest. The adults remained nearby, and the children had been called back into their line of sight while they continued playing.
The hearing was told that the children had been crawling and making shapes in the mud before sliding down the bank. Lilly slid down on her front, then stood up and collapsed. The other children alerted the adults, who tried to reach her as emergency services were called. Because of the muddy terrain and Lilly’s distance from dry ground, rescuers faced difficulty moving her from the mudflats.
Consultant pathologist Dr. James Garvican, who conducted the post-mortem examination, found a wound near the upper part of Lilly’s ribcage that extended about 7 centimeters into her chest, according to reports of his evidence. He determined that the injury had damaged a pulmonary artery and recorded penetrating chest trauma as the medical cause of death. Garvican said the location of the injury made it unsurvivable and that a small difference in its path could have produced a very different outcome.
The precise object that caused the wound was not conclusively identified. Medical evidence indicated that a pointed branch or root concealed below the surface of the mud was the most likely cause. Cox said the evidence showed an exceptionally unlikely chain of events and found no indication that another person was responsible. Devon and Cornwall Police also said there were no suspicious circumstances or third-party involvement.
Emergency crews responding to Wacker Quay included paramedics and Coastguard personnel. Accounts of the inquest said Lilly was airlifted from the mudflats so rescuers could perform effective CPR on dry ground. Reports from the hearing said she was later taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where she was pronounced dead. A police statement issued after the August 2025 incident, however, said emergency treatment was provided and she was confirmed dead at the scene. Available reports do not fully reconcile that difference.
The inquest heard that Lilly had been fit, healthy and active and enjoyed outdoor pursuits including surfing, climbing, camping and stand-up paddleboarding. She and her friends had played in the area before. Cox noted that the children were being watched by adults and that no similar incident had been reported at the site for about 40 years.
Evidence reported from the hearing also indicated that the section of Wacker Quay involved in the accident is owned by the Ministry of Defence and leased to the Tamar Community Trust. Additional signs have since been installed to warn visitors about possible hazards concealed in the mud. The measure followed an incident the coroner described as an extraordinarily unusual sequence of events rather than evidence of wrongdoing.
With the inquest concluded, Lilly’s death has formally been recorded as accidental. Police have not treated the case as a criminal matter, and the available reporting has identified no further investigation arising from the coroner’s finding.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.