A Father’s Day Out with His Daughter Turned Into an Unimaginable Tragedy

A family outing turned heartbreaking. What started as a seemingly innocent trip to take photos ended with a 13-year-old’s life lost — and an inquest ruling it a suicide.

According to Bradford Coroner’s Court, Qudsiyah Mahmood asked her ill father to take her to Baitings Reservoir near Ripponden on May 28. She’d promised she’d do well on her exams if he agreed — but investigators say it was all part of a plan. The court heard that what seemed like a fun day was actually a carefully arranged moment.

Read More: Woman Found Dead in Bali After Following an Extreme Diet to Lose Weight

The day started with quiet normalcy: they drove to the reservoir, walked along the shore, then made their way toward the bridge. BBC News reported that “Qudsiyah had asked to visit to take photos on the bridge like she had seen on social media,” DI Laura Hall told the court, adding that her father cautioned they couldn’t stay long because of his health.

Moments before she went into the water, Qudsiyah asked her father to record a few videos. “Mr Mahmood was walking slightly ahead, when he recalls ‘feeling like something was wrong’ and ‘hearing a splash’.” At first, authorities treated it as a tragic accident. Police recovered her body the next day using sonar. The post-mortem confirmed drowning as the cause of death.

But the investigation took another turn. Friends shared screenshots of her Snapchat messages, revealing that Qudsiyah had been struggling with self-harm, deep emotional pain, and confusion about her gender and religion. She had referred to herself as “agnostic”, “genderfluid”, and seemed to wrestle with whether she wanted to live. “Screenshots of messages … insinuated that Qudsiyah was experiencing low mood and was confused about sexuality. She was questioning whether she was gender fluid and agnostic, and also whether she was intending to take her own life,” DI Hall said.

Also Read: Judge Shot Dead in Shocking Court Attack That Left Two Others Wounded

Qudsiyah’s family said they were unaware of these messages. Still, they expressed regret that, had they known, they would have offered support. The inquest’s assistant coroner, Caroline Chandler, delivered a somber ruling. “Qudsiyah’s death was initially thought to be accidental … Social media messages … tragically indicate her intention to end her own life.” She noted that both deliberation and intention — criteria necessary to rule a death a suicide — were met. Her conclusion: suicide.

She extended her deepest condolences to Qudsiyah’s family. The teen, born in Mirpur, Pakistan, attended Crossley Heath School in Halifax. In an email to parents, the headteacher described her as a “bright, kind and friendly young person who brought happiness to our school.” Dean Jones, the head, said the thoughts and prayers of everyone there remain with her family.

What struck many who’d known her was how much care and warmth seemed to radiate from Qudsiyah. Even amid her internal battles, she was described as “bright, kind, friendly”—a girl whose pain no one fully saw until it was too late.