A toddler fell into a lake and drowned after being left alone with his cousin, an inquest heard.

Greyson Birch, 2, was found in the water at Swanwick Lakes Nature Reserve in Hampshire on the evening of May 30, 2021.

He was taken to Southampton General Hospital but he died a few days later on June 3.

The inquest heard Greyson went out with his cousin Lewis Birch, who was then 18, for the first time.

Greyson was left alone while Lewis went to use the toilet, but he came back to find the toddler in the water.

He did not attempt to rescue Greyson as he could not swim, and instead called his aunt for help.

Coroner Rosamund Rhodes Kemp said: ‘On May 30 2021 Lewis Birch aged 18, with autism and depression, had sole care of Greyson Birch for the first time.

‘They went on to a wooden pontoon near the water where Greyson threw sticks. Lewis went to relieve himself and returned to find Greyson in the water.

‘Lewis did not attempt to save him due to an apparent fear of water and not being able to swim, called his aunt seeking advice, and emergency services were called and attended and got Greyson out of the water.’

The inquest heard the toddler died after ‘suffering a lack of oxygen incompatible with life’.

An 18-year-old man known to Greyson was arrested on suspicion of neglect but was later released with no further action taken.

The coroner ruled Greyson’s death a ‘tragic accident’ but they will ‘never know the precise circumstances of what happened’.

She said: ‘What is clear is that after this was reported to emergency services, I don’t think they could have done more to get there as quickly as they could.

‘I think they tried their very best to save him, individually and collectively, and I thank them for doing so. Very sadly those efforts weren’t successful.

‘During the submersion in water, Greyson had suffered massive lack of oxygen to his brain and that was an unsurvivable injury, and so he sadly died.’

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