Body Found In UK’s River Thames Identified As Missing 11-year-old Girl
The lifeless body recovered during a search of the River Thames has been formally identified as 11-year-old Kaliyah Coa, who was reported missing nearly a month ago.
Kaliyah vanished on March 31 after she accidentally slipped and fell into the Thames while playing with friends near Barge House Causeway, close to London City Airport. She had been attending a birthday party at the time.
In a statement, her grieving family said:
“Our hearts are broken, and our lives will never be the same. We were blessed to have Kaliyah, even if it was for such a short time. She went to a birthday party and never returned home to her family.
She will be missed so much. We would like to thank everyone involved in the search and recovery efforts. We sincerely hope our wishes for privacy and time to grieve will be respected.”
Kaliyah’s disappearance prompted extensive rescue efforts, involving the coastguard, fire services, and paramedics. Despite these efforts, no trace of her was found for two weeks.
On April 13, a body was discovered at Maritime Quay, several miles from where Kaliyah had fallen into the water. Police confirmed on Tuesday that the body belonged to Kaliyah following formal identification.
Detective Superintendent Scott Ware said:
“This tragic accident took away a little girl who was loved by many. Our specialist officers will continue to support Kaliyah’s family as they process this heartbreaking news.
I echo the family’s request for privacy and urge the public to avoid inaccurate speculation, both online and offline. I want to thank all search and recovery teams, as well as our emergency service partners, for their tireless work. The local community has been deeply impacted by this incident, and we thank them for their support.”
The incident left Kaliyah’s father devastated. A family friend revealed to Metro that he had previously lost another child in infancy, making the tragedy even more unbearable.
Just days after Kaliyah’s disappearance, another tragedy struck when 15-year-old footballer Izaiah Smith drowned while swimming in a pond at Beckenham Place Park on April 4. His body was recovered the same day.
An inquest into Kaliyah Coa’s death is scheduled for Friday, May 2.
