Joshua Myers and Jordan Everett both died at Poynton railway station
16:55, 24 Feb 2026Updated 17:10, 24 Feb 2026
Jordan Everett and Joshua Myers
A teenage boy died ‘a hero’ in a tragic bid to save his friend from the path of a high-speed train, a coroner has said.
Joshua Myers, from Handforth, and Jordan Everett, from High Lane, Stockport, died at Poynton railway station in Cheshire on July 3 last year. A friend told how Jordan desperately tried to save Joshua by ‘rugby tackling’ him off the tracks as the train approached at 110mph.
Both teenagers sadly lost their lives as a result. Inquests into their deaths were held on Tuesday, with a coroner recording conclusions of misadventure for Joshua and accident for Jordan. Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish told Jordan’s family: “I know that you wanted him to be hailed as a hero for what he did. Well he was a hero.”
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Separate inquests at Cheshire Coroner’s Court heard both boys drank alcohol including vodka, took drugs and would often go missing from home. Both had also been previously referred for specialist mental health support work.
Macclesfield-born Joshua, the court heard, was drunk at the time at the station and shouting that he wanted to kill himself when he climbed down from a platform onto the live rail tracks.
Jordan Everett
The friend who was with them, who can’t be named for legal reasons, told police in a statement that Jordan ‘tried to rugby tackle’ Joshua ‘off onto the other side of the tracks’.
He said in the statement: “Jordan was trying to save him. I know he was. Jordan was shouting at him. If Jordan did not care he would not have got onto the tracks. Them two did everything together. They died together as well.”
‘Me and Jordan were screaming at him’
The court heard the three friends went to the station on the evening and ‘chilled’ at a park nearby before climbing over a fence to access the station. The friend described Joshua as ‘quite p*****’ after drinking vodka and said he, Joshua and Jordan all jumped over the fence.
He said Joshua jumped onto the tracks and told how he dragged him back onto the platform, before he jumped down again. “Me and Jordan were screaming at him,” said the teenager, also 16 at the time.
Josha Myers, 16,(Image: BTP)
“It comes around the corner, the train. I have seen it hit them both. I thought Jordan might have been clipped. I have waited. I could not see Josh.”
He described Joshua as being ‘bladdered’ and said he was saying that he was going to kill himself. “I did not think it was with intent,” he said in the statement. “It was an accident because he did not know that the train was coming. Jordan was screaming at him to get off, but he just wouldn’t.”
The inquest heard they were hit by an Avanti train heading to Manchester Piccadilly from London Euston. Both teenagers were said to have suffered multiple traumatic injuries ‘incompatible with life’.
‘Jordan’s bravery should be known’
In a statement, Jordan’s mum, Nicola Everett, said her son was trying to save Joshua. “Jordan lost his life in doing so,” she said. “The least that can be done for Jordan now is to give him the recognition for what he was trying to do.
“Jordan lost his life trying to save Joshua. His bravery should be known. We are proud of our son, but devastated beyond belief. Our lives are devastated. Jordan’s act of selflessness and his bravery should be known and commended.”
Train driver Bryan Holt told how he applied the emergency brakes, but said ‘the rest of it was over in a split-second’. He told of seeing two figures he believed were teenagers and said one tried to jump to one side and the other to the other side of the train.
“The next thing was the sound of the impact and the feel of the impact,” Mr Holt said in a statement. “My instinct was to turn my head. I could just see two people go in different directions.
Mr Holt said to him, it appeared they were ‘desperate’ to get out of the way. “It was clear to me that they were trying to move out of the way of the train in opposite directions,” he said. Stockport-born Jordan, the court heard, was about to start a course in engineering at Manchester College and wanted to be a commercial pilot.
He was building up his flying hours at a flying school in Liverpool. His father, Paul Everett, said in a statement his son loved travel and mechanics. The court heard he volunteered with a rescue dog charity in Bulgaria and was an RAF cadet. Mr Everett said: “He grew into a caring, sociable young man with a wide circle of friends. He always put others before himself.”
He told in a statement how Jordan had been dropped off in Poynton on the evening to be with his friends and was in ‘good spirits’.
“He was cheerful and excited and as always, he said ‘I love you’ before he was dropped off. Jordan was fun, caring, loving and kind and was always thinking of others, which he demonstrated right up to his last action.”
Another friend of Joshua’s, who also can’t be named, said in a statement that he would tell her that he hated his life and wanted to kill himself. “Joshua often said stuff like this, but I never thought he would go through with it,” she said.
She referenced times he would deliberately place himself in danger, but said he only did it when he was drunk.
‘Joshua was failed’
In a statement, Joshua’s mum, Jenny Myers, said: “Joshua did not want to die. I know he would have been terrified. His death was not something that he wanted or planned. I believe he was failed by every service he came into contact with. He was a vulnerable child who needed help and we sought to get him that help.”
Ms Myers said her son was a student who had attended Wilmslow High School. She called him bright, active and deeply loved by his family.
The inquest heard she blamed a change in his mood and personality on a new friendship group Joshua had developed, calling it a ‘bone of contention’ for the family. She said he was a different person when he was with his family than he was with his friends, saying he ‘completely changed’ when he met them.
It was ‘a thing’ within the group, Ms Myers said, that they would go ‘missing’ and Joshua started drinking alcohol, with a friend also ‘introducing’ him to drugs.
Social workers were appointed and Joshua was referred to child and adolescent mental support. The court heard he was also facing outstanding allegations of sexual assault after he was arrested, but hadn’t been charged with any offence.
His mum, Ms Myers, said he was ‘hounded on social media’ with abuse because of what had allegedly happened, and was also physically assaulted. Police, giving evidence, said they recovered threatening mobile phone messages sent from Jordan to Joshua about the allegations, but it appeared they had made up.
Coroner’s conclusion
Coroner Ms Devonish recorded a verdict of misadventure for Joshua. She said support services were in place for him, but experts couldn’t find a way to support him.
The coroner said Joshua’s problems were related to his drinking and his life began to get ‘complex and complicated’. She said: “Joshua’s behaviour was likely to have contributed to by a number of stresses in his life, including peer pressure, bullying and outstanding allegations made to the police.”
Ms Devonish said Joshua lost his life when he climbed down onto the railway line at Poynton into the path of an oncoming train. “His friend also lost his life trying to pull him off the track,” she said.
“Joshua was shouting that he wanted to kill himself and he climbed down from the platform, but there was no evidence that he intended to take his own life. But rather was under the influence of alcohol that caused him to be impulsive.”
“He did not have a mental health issue, his problems were related to his drinking.”
On Jordan, the coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death, adding: “He was actively trying to stop Joshua. Jordan was shouting at Joshua, telling him to get off the track. Jordan wanted to save his friend. He jumped back down on the track and tried to push his friend to safety.
“He was acting solely about saving his friend, but they could not move fast enough with the train moving at speed.”
Helplines and websites
Samaritans (116 123) samaritans.org operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org , write to Freepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK, PO Box 9090, STIRLING, FK8 2SA and visit www.samaritans.org/branches to find your nearest branch.
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Greater Manchester Bereavement Service Greater Manchester Bereavement Service can help to find support for anyone in Greater Manchester that has been bereaved or affected by a death. No one needs to feel alone as they deal with their grief. www.greater-manchester-bereavement-service.org.uk
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PAPYRUS (0800 068 41 41) is a voluntary organisation supporting teenagers and young adults who are feeling suicidal.
Beat Eating Disorders: Beat provides helplines for adults and young people offering support and information about eating disorders. These helplines are free to call from all phones. Adult Helpline: 0808 801 0677, Studentline: 0808 801 0811, Youthline: 0808 801 0711. www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Anorexia & Bulimia Care: ABC provide on-going care, emotional support and practical guidance for anyone affected by eating disorders, those struggling personally and parents, families and friends. Helpline: 03000 11 12 13. www.anorexiabulimiacare.org.uk/
Students Against Depression is a website for students who are depressed, have a low mood or are having suicidal thoughts. Bullying UK is a website for both children and adults affected by bullying studentsagainstdepression.org
For information and links to charities and organisations that can help with substance abuse, visit https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/drugs/