Ryan Davies

Name: Ryan Davies.
Died: April 12, 2006.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Drowning.
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, England, UK.

Details:
Ryan had Fragile X, a hereditary disorder whose symptoms often include autism. His mother, who had a history of depression and suicide attempts, took him to a bridge and helped him over the railing. Ryan jumped off the bridge; his mother followed. Both died. She left a note in which she said she had failed her son.

Ryan was an outgoing boy who enjoyed playing soccer and could do wheelies on his bike.

Ryan was not pushed, but he may not have understood the danger of jumping off the bridge. A CCTV camera caught his jump, rolling into the river with his arms above his head. Ryan, who is described as having “a mental age of about seven”, may have thought he was simply diving into the water as he would have into a swimming pool.

Editor’s note: Mental age is an outdated and incorrect way to describe someone’s cognition; Ryan was twelve, not seven, with the life experience and perspective of a twelve-year-old. However, his developmental delay probably made him unusually vulnerable to being manipulated.

References:
Ordeal that drove mum to suicide jump with autistic son
A mother and son smiling at the station. Then two specks on the edge of a bridge
Tragedy of mother and autistic son, 12