Deceased
Najeebullah Rafee
Demographics
23y, male
Coroner
Coroner Russell
Date of death
2020-10-25
Finding date
2023-06-30
Cause of death
Drowning
AI-generated summary
Najeebullah Rafee, a 23-year-old ANU international relations student and Afghan refugee, drowned on 25 October 2020 at Cotter Bend, a promoted ACT river recreation area. A non-swimmer, he attempted to use a small flotation board in deep water and lost control. His non-swimming father also entered the water and became at risk. After approximately 20-25 minutes underwater, Najeebullah was found and resuscitated by bystanders and emergency services. He was transferred to hospital with irreversible brain damage and died 10 days later. The coroner identified this as a preventable public safety matter, finding that the deceased significantly underestimated water hazards despite available signage. The inquest raised concerns about insufficient public awareness of river dangers, particularly for non-swimmers and culturally diverse communities unfamiliar with ACT waterways.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
Specialties
Error types
Drugs involved
Clinical conditions
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