Drowned boater had three times legal limit

THE boater who drowned trying to board his boat at Devizes on the Kennet & Avon Canal had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his blood.

Together with the ice and snow at the time in December of last year, this contributed to him slipping, and falling into the canal as he attempted to board his boat, and was unable to climb out, the inquest into his death heard.

Following morning

The body of Stuart Williams was discovered by the side of his narrowboat, Daylight Monarch, on the morning of 20th December last year.

Assistant deputy coroner Ian Singleton, was told that his boat had been moored near the British Waterways depot at Caen Hill  for nine months on a jetty at right angles to the canal, and that there had been a lot of snow and ice.

Dog wandering about

It was only when a fellow boater noticed Stuart Williams dog wandering about that he realised something was wrong, then recognised the boater's clothing in the canal, and rang the emergency services.

A statement that was read out from a local pub landlord stated that Stuart Williams had had four or five pints of lager, then it seems went on to another pub.

The assistant deputy coroner stated he was satisfied Stuart Williams had lost his footing due to the conditions and the alcohol he had drunk, and that his death was accidental.