Dad hopes 'lessons will be learned' from son's death

The father of a university student who drowned in floodwater following a night out said he hopes "lessons will be learned" following his son's death.

Fintan Jack Feltham, from Bristol, was found in a field near Grandpont Nature Park in Oxford on 3 December 2024.

He was reported missing on November 27 following a night out with his friends in Oxford city centre.

The 18-year-old Reading University student's death was concluded by the coroner to be an accident.

The inquest heard that Feltham had travelled from Reading to Oxford on Tuesday 26 November to attend army cadet training at Falklands House in Oxpens Road.

Following this, he went to the cadet bar where he drank with his friends before moving to the Swan and Castle pub at 11pm.

They then arrived at Plush, an LGBTQ+ nightclub in the city centre, at about 12.15am, where Feltham continued drinking.

However, he was ejected from the premises just before 2.30am due to being drunk.

A review of licensing at Plush carried out following Feltham's death found that staff had "missed some opportunities" to recognise Fintan's deterioration earlier in the evening, the inquest heard.

Feltham left the nightclub alone and walked around central Oxford, with CCTV footage showing him "staggering" at points.

The inquest heard there were several gaps in the footage, including one of about eight minutes, during which he lost his glasses.

Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Graham said there is "scant evidence" to show when or how this occurred.

After he left the nightclub he spoke to his girlfriend on the phone, until the call "abruptly terminated".

In a statement read out to the court, she said during the phone call he told her he had been attacked and subject to sexual assault, and had to run away.

She added: "He kept saying he was really cold and scared… I have never heard him be like that before."

Detective Constable Enya Lyons said while an attack was "possible", no evidence of this was found.

The last confirmed sighting of Feltham on CCTV was at Whitehouse Road at 3.31am, with "no direct evidence" of the route he took after this.

Police believe he was attempting to reach the railway station.

The court heard that at around 3.48am Feltham's girlfriend phoned the police, which was logged as a concern for welfare call.

Officers attended his last known location, which was provided by his girlfriend from Snapchat maps, 48 minutes later.

Meanwhile, officers checked his accommodation in Reading, taxi ranks, the train station and hospitals.

Later on Wednesday he was identified as a "high risk" missing person, the inquest heard.

Despite extensive searches, Feltham was found by a member of the public in a flooded field area adjacent to Grandpont Nature Park on 3 December.

A subsequent review into how Thames Valley Police handled the case found he should have been recorded as a missing person sooner, however Graham said this would not have changed the outcome.

The review also found that drone footage, captured in the days after he was recorded as a missing person, showed that Feltham had been visible in the flooded field in the footage.

On Monday 25 November, Oxford City Council had activated its flooding protocols.

The towpath at Fiddlers Island, which is owned by the council, was closed off, with signage indicating this.

However, the inquest heard that the access road from Whitehouse Road past Grandpont Nursery was not signed because it was not considered a "designated high footfall area".

Feltham's cause of death following a post-mortem examination was given as drowning.

Graham said alcohol intoxication, lack of glasses and an unfamiliarity with the area could have been contributing factors to Feltham's death.

Concluding the inquest, Graham said: "It seems to me that there are a number of lessons that have been learned in relation to the circumstances."

He said he was "heartened" by the numerous reviews that had been conducted following Feltham's death, adding: "I can conclude that there were no actions that have caused or contributed to Fintan's death."

Feltham's dad, who was present at the inquest, said: "He was an intelligent, well-loved and energetic individual who was well respected by his peers."

He described Feltham as an "amazing person" who had a "fantastic future ahead of him".

"His loss has not just been felt by his family and friends, but anyone who has spent a mere moment with him," he said.

"We cannot get Fintan back, but we hope today lessons will be learned, changes will be made and Fintan will leave behind a legacy that we hope will prevent future deaths."

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it received a request to review the handling of a complaint by Thames Valley Police relating to the force's investigation into Feltham's death.

In September 2025, it concluded that the outcome of the complaint was "not reasonable and proportionate" and the review was upheld.

The IOPC is currently investigating a further request to review the force's handling of its reinvestigation.

Thames Valley Police said it carried out a "thorough investigation" into the circumstances leading up to Feltham's death which identified some learning, but "found nothing that impacted the effectiveness of the initial response or the sad outcome in this case".

The force said it is unable to comment on the ongoing complaint.

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