Tragic teenager who fell from plane before being run over by train is still a 'John Doe'
LONDON, ENGLAND: A teenager who was found dead on railway tracks after apparently falling from a plane has reportedly still not been identified two years after the incident. The unfortunate boy's body was recovered from the tracks in Richmond upon Thames, between Mortlake and North Sheen stations in December 2020, after he fell from a flight heading to Heathrow.
The victim was said to be between 15 and 18 years of age and sustained "major injuries" to his head, neck, chest, and torso — all of which were consistent for someone falling from a height of an "overflying aircraft" and being run over by a moving train. The British Transport Police responded to the location of the body at around 10 am on December 14, 2020, but emergency crews pronounced the teenager dead at the scene.
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Identity remains a mystery
According to The Sun, the boy's identity remains a mystery to investigators, who haven't been able to trace his origins or contact his family for two years after he was found. The victim was not carrying any form of identification and had no visible tattoos or scars. Strangely enough, he was missing both his shoes and socks. The teen was reportedly wearing a green polo shirt emblazoned with the words 'Sulid Supra Used High-Quality Motorcycle Parts'. However, the owners of the motorbike shop in Nigeria the shirt was traced back to were also unable to identify the boy. Nigerian law enforcement also circulated a picture of the boy but to no avail.
Cause of death
The West London Coroners Court was told during an inquest that British Transport Police and the National Crime Agency had shown "sterling efforts" in their investigation. Meanwhile, a post-mortem exam found the boy did not have any natural diseases and his teeth indicated his age was around 15 to 18. The coroner ruled his cause of death as hypothermia and hypoxia at altitude, which is a common cause of death for those hiding in the wheel well of an aircraft. Forensic pathologist Dr. Robert Charles Chapman told the court that there was no evidence of a third-party assault. “In my opinion, it is probable he died prior to impact on the railway track," Chapman said.
Tragic 'misadventure'
Investigators reviewed CCTV footage and found that the body was visible on the tracks at 8.07 am, leading to the theory that the boy must have fallen from a flight from Lagos that arrived at Heathrow six hours before his body was found. The CCTV was overwritten per protocol, but authorities later found boot marks in the wheel well of the aircraft in question.
Acting Senior Coroner Lydia Brown said the boy's death was a misadventure. “I’m very conscious that somewhere out there this young man has a family who are wondering about him," she told the court. "Sadly, the contact has not been made for me to share what I know about this young man." Brown added, "He took steps to access this aircraft in a short period of time and lost his life during his endeavors to reach the UK. Whatever he was trying to achieve went disastrously wrong and ended with the loss of his life rather than any other opportunities.”