North East Ambulance Service
NHS Trust
Received
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Source · Prevention of Future Deaths
Edie Smart
Ref: 2026-0297
Date: 9 Jun 2026
Coroner: Georgina Nolan
Area: Newcastle and North Tyneside
Responses identified: 1 / 1
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Response deadline: 4 August 2026 (extracted from report).
Date
9 Jun 2026
56-day deadline
4 Aug 2026
Responses identified
1 of 1
Coroner's concerns
(1) Ambulance Support Practitioners are often first on scene on an out of hospital cardiac arrest but are only trained to use i gels to secure a patient’s airway under the supervision of a paramedic.
View full coroner's concerns
(1) Ambulance Support Practitioners are often first on scene on an out of hospital cardiac arrest but are only trained to use i gels to secure a patient’s airway under the supervision of a paramedic.
Responses
Report sections
Investigation and inquest
On 31 July 2025 I commenced an investigation into the death of Edie Grace Smart. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 5th June 2026. The conclusion of the inquest was Accident. The medical cause of death was:
Severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy Out of hospital cardiac arrest Drowning
Severe hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy Out of hospital cardiac arrest Drowning
Circumstances of the death
Edie Grace Smart was 13. She died in hospital on the 28th July 2025 having been rescued from the sea at Whitley Bay four days earlier. She had been washed into the sea whilst sitting on some disused steps. The emergency crews tending to Edie struggled to secure her airway. The first ambulance personnel crew on scene were Ambulance Support Practitioners who were not permitted to use an i gel to secure Edie’s airway without paramedic supervision.
Copies sent to
belowHM CoastguardNorth Tyneside CouncilTynemouth Volunteer Life BrigadeRoyal National Lifeboat Institution
Similar PFD reports
Report details
- Reference
- 2026-0297
- Date of report
- 9 June 2026
- Coroner
- Georgina Nolan
- Coroner area
- Newcastle and North Tyneside
Responses identified
Responses identified
1 of 1
All listed responses identified
Organisations named in PFD reports are normally expected to respond within 56 days. Deadline: 4 Aug 2026.
Sent to
- North East Ambulance Service