A nine-year-old boy died from immersion after falling into the sea at Dymchurch, the opening of an inquest into his death heard this morning.

Connor McDonald, of Hythe Road, Dymchurch died at the Wiliam Harvey Hospital on Tuesday, October 27 after being pulled from the water.

The inquest opening at Folkestone Magistrates Court was told that he had either slipped, fallen or been swept into the sea while playing on rocks near the sea wall with a friend.

The hearing was told that Connor and his friend had been playing in the garden of his nearby home but left to go to the sea wall.

A passing dog walker tried to rescue Connor from the water and dived in fully-clothed and dragged him to shore, but the unidentified man was left trapped against rocks and holding on for his own life.

The man was rescued by lifeboat crews who praised his incredibly brave actions when he spotted the boy in trouble.

Connor was already being treated by ambulance crews when the lifeboat arrived.

He was then rushed to the William Harvey but sadly died there, without regaining consciousness.

Connor’s aunt Kim Harris posted a Facebook message on behalf of the family thanking the scores of people who have posted social media messages offering their condolences.

She said: “I just want to say how very moved we all are with such lovely comments.”

She said the family had been “devastated” by the loss of Connor, a passionate football player who played for Ashford Utd Youth under 10s team and was a pupil at Furley Park Academy in Park Farm.

Over the weekend hundreds of footballers across Ashford took part in silences or minute’s applauses in tribute to Connor before the start of their matches on both Saturday and Sunday.

The hearing was adjourned to a date yet to be decided, when the full inquest will take place.

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