Riverland local news briefing, Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Detailed summary

Here's what's making news in the Riverland region today. Drowning death inquest begins . A coronial inquest into the drowning of a nine-year-old boy at the Waikerie Swimming Pool…

A coronial inquest into the drowning of a nine-year-old boy at the Waikerie Swimming Pool in 2022 has begun in Berri.

Cyrus John Buck died on December 3, 2022, after two lifeguards noticed he was sinking in the water.

Cyrus had been swimming that afternoon under supervision and re-entered the pool later that day without his family's knowledge.

The inquest will focus on the supervision and response of the four lifeguards on duty.

Yesterday, Deputy State Coroner Darren Evans heard from the 17-year-old lifeguard who retrieved Cyrus from the pool.

The court heard she was told by boys nearby that he was "just holding his breath", "playing around" and "faking".

After becoming concerned, she said she entered the water to retrieve Cyrus, but not before taking off her belt and shoes, which went against her training.

Mid-Murray Council mayor Simone Bailey has been elected president of the SA Local Government Association.

In a social media post, Ms Bailey said she hoped to strengthen the sector, build relationships with government and have honest conversations about challenges for councils in SA.

Opening of the article, excerpted from ABC Environment. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.