Drowned in canal under the influence of drugs

CORONER Sian Jones told of 16 years old Preston John McNally drowning in the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

This was at the inquest into his death held at Accrington Town Hall, with a witness having seen  a group of young men at 2.25pm on the 9th September, the hottest day of the year looking 'zombified' and clearly under the influence of drugs, as they were moving very slowly and could not control their legs.

Could not be seen

Emergency services were called after three of his friends had reported Preston had entered the water, and  could not be seen, with a search for the teenager taking place.

The court heard the group had regularly bought and taken ketamine together. This is a Class B drug, and during recreational use reduces sensations in the body, and causes a dream-like, detached state and makes the user chilled, relaxed and hallucinating.

CCTV footage

DS Iain Czapowski, of Lancashire Police, told the court CCTV footage of Preston's last movements were available from a nearby warehouse showing Preston lost his balance and fell into the water on his back, telling:

"He floated for approximately three minutes before submerging into the water completely.

"The footage also shows his friends attempted to help him, but we suspect due to the intoxication of ketamine they were unable to do so.

"When I inspected the water later myself, I thought the dock weed [duckweed] laying on top of the water looked like Astroturf, and to someone who had less capacity they may have thought it was solid."

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service deployed a boat, drones and swift water technicians to help locate Preston.

Though it was confirmed the water was only around waist height where Preston fell in, he was not able to stand on the canal floor one metre further out from where he was found and was not entangled by any shrubbery or vegetation that may have prevented him from climbing out.

The coroner gave a narrative conclusion, that Preston John McNally fell into the canal under ketamine intoxication, of which he drowned.