The body of a young girl recovered from the River Thames has been formally identified as 11-year-old Kaliyah Coa, who vanished on 31 March while playing with friends near Barge House Causeway, close to London City Airport.
Kaliyah is believed to have slipped and fallen into the water during a birthday celebration, sparking a major search operation involving the coastguard, firefighters and paramedics. Despite extensive efforts, no trace of her was found for over two weeks.
Metropolitan Police confirmed today (30 April) that a body recovered from the water at Maritime Quay on 13 April has been formally identified as Kaliyah following post-mortem procedures and family verification.
In a heartfelt statement, Kaliyah’s family said:
“Our hearts are broken and our lives will never be the same. We were blessed to have Kaliyah, even if it was for such a short time. She will be missed so much. Kaliyah went to a birthday party and never returned home to her family.”
They added:
“We sincerely hope that everyone will respect our wishes to be given the space and time to grieve as a family.”
The tragedy has deeply shaken the local community in East London. A friend of the family revealed that Kaliyah’s father had been left in a “very bad place” during the agonising wait for news, adding:
“He lost another child when they were a baby. It is devastating.”
Second Teen Drowning in Same Week
Just days after Kaliyah disappeared, another tragic drowning occurred in south-east London. Izaiah Smith, 15, a promising young footballer, died after getting into difficulty while swimming in a pond at Beckenham Place Park in Lewisham on 4 April. His body was recovered hours later.
Search and Recovery Timeline
Kaliyah’s fall into the Thames was reported immediately, prompting rapid deployment of emergency services. Yet, the powerful tidal nature of the river and adverse conditions hampered the initial search. It wasn’t until 13 April that a body was discovered upstream in the Docklands area.
The formal identification process was completed on Tuesday, 29 April. Police say they continue to support Kaliyah’s family and that no further investigation is ongoing as the death is not being treated as suspicious.
