Life jackets for Harecastle?

AFTER a boater fell off his narrowboat and drowned in Harecastle Tunnel on the Trent & Mersey Canal a coroner is calling for safety improvements including communications and life jackets.

Michael Holgate fell from his boat on the 20th of May, with his wife, Susan, desperately attempting to draw attention by continually sounding the boat's horn, but as there was only the single boat passing through no one could help, Alan Tilbury tells us.

Eight hours later

At the inquest into his death it was told his body was eventually discovered and brought out of the tunnel eight hours later.

North Staffordshire Coroner Ian Smith has written to write to Canal & River Trust to ask for lines of communication to be installed and that advice be given to passengers to wear a safety jacket when entering the tunnel.

Perhaps caught his head

The conclusion was that Michael died as a result of an accident, when the boat hit the side, and perhaps caught his head on the low roof or side of the tunnel and then went into the water, with the coroner adding that there should be some lines of communication and it defied logic for people to go into the tunnel without life jackets.

[Life jackets are compulsory when cruising through Standedge Tunnel on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal.]