A DESPERATE attempt to save the life of a boy who drowned in a Bolton lagoon was described at an inquest.

Nicholas Wetton, of Mavis Drive, Coppull, near Chorley, drowned in the Blue Lagoon reservoir in Belmont, on August 18.

The 17-year-old, a former pupil of Holy Cross RC High School, Chorley, and Runshaw College, Leyland, had visited the popular picnic spot with his friends on a hot summer day.

An inquest at Preston Coroner's Court heard yesterday that he had wanted to swim out to an island in the centre of the lagoon.

His friend Stephen Treadwell, 17, of Smith Street, Chorley, told the hearing he had desperately fought to save Nicholas and pull him to the side.

He said: "I am a stronger swimmer than Nicky and I had overtaken him as we were swimming to the island. He shouted at me to slow down, so I treaded the water to let him catch up.

"Suddenly he started shouting that he couldn't breathe. Everyone else thought he was joking about. But I could tell by his voice he wasn't.

"I tried to hold him above the water but he was panicking and I kept going under with him. He didn't mean it. I tried swimming with him but I was not getting anywhere."

Another friend Kelly Stewart, of Harestone Avenue, Chorley, added: "I could tell he was in trouble because his voice was becoming weaker.

"The island didn't seem far, but it was. By the time Stephen had swam back Nicky had gone under the water. I rang his mum while someone else rang the emergency services." Nicholas's mother, Carol, told the inquest how she and her husband had rushed to the scene after receiving the frantic call. By then police divers were searching the water.

Nicholas was taken to Royal Preston Hospital by the North West Air Ambulance but was pronounced dead on arrival.

A post mortem examination revealed that he had drowned. Preston Coroner Howard McCann recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Speaking after the hearing Nicholas's father, Darren Wetton, said he wanted to warn other young people to resist the temptation to swim in such waters. He said: "It is a so-called beauty spot but people just don't know what is lurking beneath the water."

"We took some photographs when we revisited the scene on Nicky's birthday, and because the water level was lower we could see old trolleys and even vehicles in the lagoon.

"People don't know what they are getting themselves into.

"If I had known then what I know now I would never have let Nicky go there.

"We want to warn other youngsters not to go near the water. We have lost a loving son. It was a tragic loss that we don't want to happen again."

He added: "He was a fantastic boy and was very caring. An elderly lady lives next door to us and even when his friends were there, he would not be embarrassed to say hello to her.

"He was like an icon to his friends, They would not go anywhere without him."

At the time of the tragedy, Nicholas's grandparents John and Florence Wettton spoke of their loss and said their grandson, who had been working as a pizza delivery boy, had high hopes for the future.

Florence said: "We are going to miss him so much. He was a sensible lad and had hopes of joining the Air Force. "He was always coming round to see us."