A BRAVE 11-year-old girl who tried desperately to save her best friend from drowning had to be forced to give up before she went underwater herself, an inquest heard.

Kirsty Sloane, now 12, had to be prised off 11-year-old Craig Summerfield, who died after getting into trouble while trying to swim across the Gully lake on Heaton Park Golf Course in Blackley.

Craig, of Harry Thorneycroft Walk, in Beswick, had jumped into the water to clean off his muddy trousers after spending several hours looking for golf balls with Kirsty and friend Leo Loughran, 21, on a hot day in July.

Kirsty, of Derwent Walk, Whitefield, told Manchester Coroner's Court she told her best friend not to swim across the 150ft-wide pond, which is known to be more than 12 ft deep in places.

''When we got to the other side I turned round and saw him in the pond, he was near the centre and he was dancing about with his hands in the air - he was just playing about,'' she said.

''While we were watching him he went under the water and then he was in difficulty and he shouted and screamed that he couldn't swim many more.''

Manchester Coroner Leonard Gorodkin heard that first Kirsty and then Leo plunged into the water and swam out to Craig followed by several golfers.

Kirsty said she was trying to hold Craig but he was dragging her under. ''I wouldn't let go of him but Leo was pulling me to get me out but I didn't want to let go,'' she said.

Police divers pulled the boy's body out of the pond nearly two hours later. Recording a verdict of death by misadventure, Mr Gorodkin said Kirsty and Leo and several of the golfers had made valiant efforts to save Craig.

Later, Craig's father, Colin, 41, called for the area on the golf course to be fenced off or the pond filled in.