Friday 1 July 2022 01:36 PM University student, 20, found dead in river ran off from parents in a tragic ... trends now
A university student who was found dead after a month-long search by police had run away from his parents in a prank that turned tragic, an inquest heard.
Film student Charley Gadd, 20, was found in the River Irwell in Salford, Manchester, on January 10 this year.
He had been on a night out with parents Jolyon and Kimberley Gadd at The Warehouse Project in Manchester city centre on December 11 last year but later 'ran off' from them.
His father, Jolyon, said he had already run away from them once that night as a joke.
He said: 'I went chasing after him, running a couple of blocks. He fell over and I picked him up.
'He found it really funny that I was so unfit and we walked off arm in arm. Then we went to get something for him to eat, but he ran off again.'
Mr Gadd was last seen by his family near the Spar Store on St Mary's Gate, Manchester, at around 1.10am on December 11.
A university student who was found dead after a month-long search by police had run away from his parents in a prank that turned tragic, an inquest heard. Film student Charley Gadd, 20, was found in the River Irwell in Salford, Manchester, on January 10 this year
They spent hours desperately trying to find him before reporting him missing to police.
CCTV footage showed him outside Manchester's Royal Exchange theatre, heading towards St Anne Street, just before 1.15am.
He was then seen in a small car park to the rear of apartment block Alberton House which overlooks the River Irwell.
Mr Gadd was seen walking across the car park, which had a steep drop into the River Irwell. He was not seen leaving.
Giving evidence at Stockport Coroners Court, Police Coroners Officer David Wood, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'It would have been impossible to know that under the car park was water.'
He had been on a night out with parents Jolyon and Kimberley Gadd at The Warehouse Project in Manchester city centre on December 11 last year but later 'ran off' from them. Above: CCTV footage of Mr Gadd
Police carried out a 'serious investigation' with a huge search effort
