Four teenagers drowned after the car they were traveling in left a road in north Wales, a coroner said. An inquest into the deaths of Jevon Hurst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Hugo Morris, 18, all from Shropshire, opened and closed in Caernarfon on Wednesday.

None of the teenagers’ families attended the brief four-minute hearing, during which Kate Robertson, coroner for northwest Wales, said the preliminary cause of death was drowning. A massive search was launched after A-level students were unable to return home to Shropshire after spending the night at a campsite in the Snowdonia area.

Previously, North Wales Police said their bodies were discovered on Tuesday, November 21, after their silver Ford Fiesta left the A4085, rolled over and became partially submerged in water. Coroner Robertson said on Wednesday that all of the students had been formally identified to police by members of their families. For the latest Wales news straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter.

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She said: “Four young people were traveling in a vehicle on the A4085 at Llanfrothen when the vehicle left the road. Circumstances that caused the death of the four neighbors. Post-mortem examinations were carried out and the preliminary causes of death were established, which are awaiting investigation.”

The investigator added that the police investigation is ongoing.

Ms Robertson concluded: “My deepest condolences to the families. “These investigations will be postponed until further investigations are completed.”

A date for the full hearing has not been set. North Wales Police appealed for dashcam footage of anyone traveling on the A4085 between Penrhyndeudraeth and Beddgelert in either direction between 11am on November 19 and 10am on November 21.

In her obituary, Harvey’s mother, Crystal Owen, described him as “a unique and special person who touched so many people along the way.” She said: “There is never time to lose a child, but the feeling is even greater because he literally thrived in life and had everything to live for.”

Wilf’s girlfriend Maddie Corfield posted a tribute online, writing: “I love you so much I will miss you forever. The sweetest, most loving boy I’ve ever met. I hope you know how much I love you, beautiful.

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