A depressed catering worker dived to his death in
A depressed catering worker dived to his death in the River Thames in front of horrified onlookers, an inquest heard today.
Mohammed Bangura, 39, ‘seemed very casual’ as he plunged head first into the treacherous waters, Westminster Coroners Court was told.
The married man from Siera Leone had become severely depressed after failing to get a passport so he could fly out to his father’s funeral in his homeland.
Recent unemployment and marital problems also contributed to his unhappy mental state, the inquest was told.
Duan Whiteman told the hearing how he and a friend witnessed Mr Bangura’s death plunge from Lambeth Bridge on the morning of June 25 this year.
‘Basically we saw Mr Bangura had taken off his shoes, stepped over the handrail and dived head first into the Thames,’ he said.
Asked how Mr Bangura appeared in his final moments Mr Whiteman replied: ‘He seemed very casual.
‘After that I looked over into the water and saw him resurface.
After several seconds he came to the surface again.
‘He was trying to swim.
He would go under and resuface again several seconds later.
‘Once other people arrived on the scene and we were watching what was happening somebody said: ‘He can’t swim.
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Mr Whiteman said he raced down to the pier to see if he could assist Mr Bangura.
‘I ran down but by the time I got down he had gone under the water and did not resurface again after that.
‘
The witness flagged down a passing police car but there was no trace of Mr Bangura’s until three days later when his body was found in the Kings Reach area of the Thames.
Police found his slippers, a set of keys and cigarettes at the point where he jumped.
Miss Gloria Morgan, the deceased’s cousin, told the inquest Mr Bangura ‘had been very very depressed.
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He had been made redundant in March, then his father died shortly afterwards and he could not get a passport from the Home Office.
Mr Bangura had also been undergoing fertility treatment with his wife in the hope of starting a family without success.
A post-mortem on Mr Bangura, of Pory House, Lambeth Walk, Kennington, revealed he was drowned.
Describing the case as ‘a tragic death’ Deputy Coroner Mr Robert Prescott told the inquest: ‘There seems to be compelling evidence that he was suffering from severe depression caused by a whole catalogue of events.
‘It is quite clear that everything conceivably possible was done to rescue Mr Bangura but unfortunately nothing could be done.
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Mr Prescott said Mr Bangura had ‘killed himself while suffering from depression.
‘
Verdict: Suicide.
ends
