An inquest has been opened and is continuing today following the death of 21-year-old Bath chemistry student Christopher Taylor, after he died last January in the River Avon.
The inquest has already heard that Mr Taylor had twice the legal drink-drive limit of alcohol in his blood, and that there was a five minute delay from a 999 call being made to police officers being sent to the river.
A passer-by has described how he heard calls for help from the river when he was passing the area near Sainsbury’s at around 4am on 23rd January last year.
Luke Thompson had been on the phone when he heard Christopher calling for help, and immediately went to the side of the river while calling 999.
He told the inquest how Mr Taylor was holding onto something in an effort to keep himself above the water.
When he wasn’t able to get closer to the edge, Thompson grabbed a nearby branch and told the student to hold on to it.
Shortly after police and paramedics arrived, Christopher went under the water and his body was recovered later that day.
The inquest also heard yesterday how there was a five minute gap in receiving the 999 call from Thompson to when police officers were sent to the scene.
Hayley Deacon, who dispatches police officers, said she hadn’t seen the emergency call on her screen as she may have already been dealing with another incident.
Christopher, from Southport in Lancashire, was studying at the University of Bath and had been out with friends in the city celebrating the end of their exams.
The inquest is set to continue today.
1 Comment
Duda
Saturday 17th January, 2015 at 07:36Poor guy! If only they came a few minutes earlier.