Death of 16-year-old teenage boy – Irvine beach, Ayrshire

Detectives are appealing to people who were on the beach at Irvine on Saturday, 17 May 2025, to contact them if they have mobile phone footage of an incident in which a 16-year-old male youth was seriously injured and has since died.

Around 6.45pm, a 16-year-old boy from East Kilbride was found seriously injured following a report of a disturbance on the beach. He was taken by ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock where he died in the early hours of Sunday, 18 May 2025. His family is aware. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Detective Chief Inspector Campbell Jackson, Major Investigation Teams, said:

“An extensive investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding this death. Our officers are supporting the boy’s family at this very difficult and heartbreaking time.

“From our investigation so far, we know that there were a large number of people on the beach around the time of the disturbance. We believe that a number of them were filming at the time and therefore may have footage of what happened.

“I would urge people to review the footage they have and contact police if they think the footage captured could be of significance to our investigation.

Detectives have also set up a website that gives members of the public access to a form to send information directly to the Major Investigation Team, which can be submitted anonymously.

Superintendent Jim McMillan from Ayrshire Police Division said:

"We understand that this death will be of great concern for the local community, but please be assured that we are doing everything we can to identify those involved.

"There will be additional patrols in the area as we carry out our enquiries and anyone with any concerns can approach these officers.”