The mother of a teenager who drowned on a school trip to a Sussex beach said nobody has given her answers about her son’s death. Samuel Oluwagbenga, 17, was on an end-of-term day trip with his classmates in West Wittering in July. Teachers realised he was missing around lunchtime on July 2.
The Uxbridge College student was pulled from the water and airlifted to St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester. At an inquest opening, held in Horsham, the court heard he was pronounced dead in hospital later that day. Now, Samuel’s mother Taiwo Olagunju has told Sky News she feels left in the dark about her son’s death.
Ms Olagunja, from Nigeria, rushed to hospital to meet her son. The scene of the incident in West Wittering (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) "When they told me that my son could not make it," she told Sky News. "I didn't understand, what you mean by 'the child can't make it?' My brain struggled, I struggled to register what they meant by 'he can't make it'.
"I can't be myself again. I have nobody to care for me, only Samuel." READ MORE: Inquest opens after teen died on school trip On a fundraising page for Samuel’s funeral, his family said: "Samuel was an energetic 17-year-old and brought so much joy to everyone he met.
“He loved his little brother and on his weekends, he spent his time coaching younger children futsal in the Uxbridge Community. We are completely heartbroken by his passing.” His distraught mother told Sky News: “Nobody has given me any answers.
My son went and he didn't come back. Fifty children went and only my son didn't come back." Dylan McTaggart, principal at Uxbridge College, previously described the incident as a “tragic accident” .
Coastguard crews pulled Samuel from the water. He was then airlifted to hospital, where he was pronounced dead (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) “This was a tragic accident that has had a huge impact on everyone here,” he said. “Our priority now is to look after all those affected.
“We have enlisted the help of qualified counsellors and will make sure that over the next days and weeks we have staff and professional support available to our community. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we ask that you respect their privacy as they grieve the loss of a child.” A spokesman from Sussex Police told Sky News: "Our thoughts remain with Taiwo Olagunju and Samuel's wider family and friends, and we understand their need for answers.
"We are continuing to work in conjunction with our partners at the Health and Safety Executive and have provided the family with regular updates on our enquiries. "Although Samuel drowned, the reasons how this occurred will be formally determined by the coroner at inquest. "As part of our investigations to date, we have taken witness statements from a number of people present on the day, developed a detailed timeline of events , and are reviewing relevant policies and procedures.
We will continue to liaise with the family throughout this process." The Argus contacted Sussex Police for further comment..
