An inquest has heard that a teenager drowned after his car plunged into a river, leaving three others injured and another person dead. Declan Berry, 18, lost his life after his blue VW Polo entered the water at North Brink, Wisbech St Mary, Cambridgeshire, on March 17.
The vehicle, which was carrying five occupants, was retrieved from the tidal river five days after the crash. The body of Eden Bunn, 16, was pulled from the water the day after the incident, while three survivors — two girls aged 16 and an 18-year-old man — managed to escape from the car.
Inquest Opened
An inquest into Mr Berry's death was opened in Huntingdon on Thursday, May 28, by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area coroner Simon Milburn. The opening heard that Mr Berry was said to be the driver of a vehicle which left the road before entering the River Nene and becoming fully submerged. The provisional cause of death was recorded as 1A drowning (immersion in water).
Search and Recovery
Declan's body remained missing for 14 days while specialist teams conducted extensive searches spanning miles of the river. He was recovered from the River Nene in nearby Wisbech on March 31.
Declan's older brother Connor previously described him as "full of life, and always joking." He said Declan, who was set to join the army later this summer after taking part in a recruitment trial in Birmingham, had a great sense of humour, and like many of his friends was into his cars. Connor described Declan as coming from a hardworking family, and noted that he worked with him in his garden services business.
Just five days before the fatal collision, Declan's brother had shared a birthday tribute on Facebook, featuring a photograph of him seated in a blue Volkswagen Polo, posted on March 12.
Area coroner Simon Milburn said: "My condolences to the family and friends of Declan Berry." The inquest was adjourned to August 17, 2026.
