News Dock death ruled ?a tragic accident?
A coroner described the death of a football fan from Old Goole as a ?tragic accident? after hearing how he drowned in the town?s docks while trying to retrieve his girlfriend?s shoes.
Christopher Michael Byard (21), of Morley Street, died in the early hours of April 17, Hull Coroners? Court heard on Tuesday.
Sara Longmate, Mr Byard?s girlfriend, told the court that her boyfriend had played football for the George Renegades and had scored two goals to help his team towards victory. ?He was very pleased,? she said.
After the match, Miss Longmate joined Mr Byard in the Old George pub in Goole to celebrate the victory.
The couple later spent time at Mr Byard?s home before going to the house of a family friend and drinking in a number of pubs in Goole.
The last of these was The Jailhouse, where Miss Longmate said they had a small disagreement. When they came to leave the pub around midnight, Miss Longmate said they had resolved this well enough for her to agree to go back to Mr Byard?s home, but they did not speak as they began walking there via Aire Street.
When they reached Lowther Bridge, they stopped and carried on the argument from the pub until Mr Byard suddenly jumped into the water and then climbed out again.
?I was really angry at what he?d done,? Miss Longmate said.
She then threw her shoes into the water, later telling the court that she had done so to vent her anger and had not intended them to land in the water.
?He said: ?I?m off to go get them?,? Miss Longmate said.
?I said: ?Don?t, they?re just a pair of shoes.? ?
Miss Longmate said she also climbed over railings in an attempt to stop Mr Byard from jumping in, but could not prevent him.
?He seemed OK [in the water], then he began to struggle. His head went under the water and I lost sight of him,? she told the inquest.
Brave rescue attempt
A statement from Richard Cawkwell, an off-duty soldier, said that he had been passing the bridge on his way home from The Jailhouse when he saw a man in the water.
?I climbed over the fence and jumped in. The water was so cold it took my breath away,? he said in a statement.
After several attempts, Mr Cawkwell was unable to find Mr Byard and he called to another passerby, Patricia Thompson, to help him out.
Ms Thompson threw him a life-belt and helped him out of the water.
Ms Thompson confirmed this and said she saw Miss Longmate screaming at the edge of the dock. ?All I could hear was ?Chris, Chris,? ? she said.
She told a friend to call 999.
Pc Graham Benson went to the scene and saw Miss Longmate there, who told him: ?You?ve got to find him.?
Fire, ambulance, police and coastguard crews, and a search and rescue helicopter all went to the scene but Mr Byard?s body was not recovered until an underwater search team pulled it from the bottom of the dock at around 4.20am. Paramedics found no signs of life and said attempts to resuscitate him would have been futile.
?The water was eight degrees and the air temperature was seven degrees,? said Pc Ronald Moughton, who also attended.
Pathologist Ian Richmond later confirmed the cause of death was drowning.
Toxicology reports showed that Mr Byard had 123 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood, and Dr Richmond said this would have affected him, although the temperature of the water was a more significant factor, as it could have caused his muscles to go into spasm.
Coroner Geoffrey Saul concluded the inquest by saying that Mr Byard died as a result of a tragic accident and recorded a verdict of accident death. He also praised the ?brave attempts? of Mr Cawkwell to try to rescue him and the ?resourcefulness? of Ms Thompson.
* Speaking after the inquest, members of Mr Byard?s family paid tribute to the young footballer, who was the eldest of six children.
?He was like any typical lad - chirpy, cheeky, happy,? said his stepmother, Helen Byard.
?He didn?t have an enemy,? added dad Michael Byard. ?Everyone was his friend.?
Published on 10th August 2006 in News.
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