Boy, 13, who died in river was trying to build den
A “kind and caring” boy who survived cancer was dragged to his death in a river after drinking with friends, an inquest heard.
Mylo Capilla, 13, went with his friends to build a workhouse in an area known as Muddies in Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, on June 27 last year.
The teenager then disappeared into the River Tees after drinking more than three times the drink-drive limit and got into trouble.
A massive search for Mylo was launched, with police bringing in drones, divers and a police helicopter, but his body was recovered from the river the next day.
The inquest into his death at Teesside Coroner’s Court heard Mylo visited his father shortly before he set off and told him he had found a new girlfriend.
His father, Daniel Capilla, said he was “truly one of a kind.”
“Mylo was compassionate, kind, loyal and loved by many people,” Capilla said in a statement read at the hearing.
He said Mylo was “always ready to wrap you up in one of his famous hugs” and that he “always knew what to give, and he gave it freely.”
He also said that Mylo, who suffered from cystic fibrosis and was diagnosed with stage four cancer in 2021 and was given the all-clear for the following year, “was brave and continued to act, joke and be silly as always” throughout his treatment.
Their father-son bond has been described as “one of a kind”.
Capilla said he still remembers their last conversation, in which Mylo hugged him and said “I love you, dad” before leaving the house.
At the time, flowers were left at Ramsey Gardens next to Muddies. [BBC]
The inquest heard Mylo and his friends went to Tesco and One Stop before going to Muddies, and Mylo texted a friend at 18:03 BST to say: “I may have had too much vodka.”
They went downstairs with the intention of building a study, and Mylo had a bottle of vodka and gin in his bag, along with a few shot glasses.
By 8:50pm that night, parents had raised concerns about their whereabouts, and it was 9:09pm when Cleveland Police were first notified.
Officers arrived at Ramsey Gardens in the Round Hill area 20 minutes later.
Detective Inspector David Snaith said Cleveland Police launched a major response after being told Mylo, a student at All Saints CE Academy in Ingleby, had gone to the river and his bike and phone were found nearby.
Snaith said his friend was found “covered in mud and slightly drunk” and confirmed they had been drinking and went to the river.
The inquest heard the friend told police they “went into the water but couldn’t remember how or why” and described how Mylo grabbed a branch.
He disappeared a few minutes later.
bulk search
Mylo’s disappearance sparked a massive emergency service response in Ingleby Barwick, including officers, paramedics, firefighters, mountain rescue teams and police divers.
Residents came out in droves to help find the teenager and searched Round Hill and nearby areas throughout the night in a desperate attempt to find him.
However, his body was found downstream by diving teams at 16.20 the day after his disappearance.
Toxicology tests revealed Mylo had “very high levels of alcohol” in his blood, which could cause “significant intoxication.”
The inquest heard this may have hindered attempts to save him.
It was determined that the alcohol level in his blood was 288 mg per 100 ml; That’s more than three times the drink-driving limit.
Home Office consultant pathologist Sam Hoggard said this could be related to factors such as confusion, dizziness and increased pain threshold.
No drugs were found in his system.
Deputy coroner Paul Appleton concluded that Mylo died of asphyxiation at a time when he was intoxicated after consuming a significant amount of alcohol, which may have impaired his judgment and ability to save himself.
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