Coroner’s warning after soldier dies in canal tragedy

A soldier who had just returned from providing security at the London 2012 Olympics died when he tripped and fell into a canal, an inquest heard.

Territorial army soldier Nick Kinloch, 29, had recently returned from his first tour of duty in Afghanistan, and died in the city centre canal just a day after returning from London.

Mr Kinloch, who was in the 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, died in Leeds, on the afternoon of August 14 after meeting a friend.

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Mr Kinloch and his friend had taken a walk along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which runs through the city, and the tragic accident occurred after Mr Kinloch’s friend left to meet his girlfriend.

A couple heard Mr Kinloch “making noises like he was throwing hand grenades” and pretending to throw something in the water, laughing loudly.

As they watched, Mr Kinloch, who lived with his parents, stumbled and fell into the water feet first. Witnesses said his head appeared above the water three times before it sank below the surface.

The inquest heard Mr Kinloch had taken ketamine before his death which “may have affected his mental state”. Pathologist Lisa Barker gave the cause of the soldier’s death as drowning.

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Close friend Matthew Carrick told the court Mr Kinloch had seemed happy and had been talking about his experiences at the Olympics.

Recording a verdict of accidental death Coroner David Hinchliff warned against the use of the popular drug, adding: “The villain of the piece here is the ketamine and it clearly had an effect on him.”

Rugby fan Mr Kinloch joined the TA three years ago. Commanding officer Lt Col Ian Crowley said he was a “rising star” who was “committed to his battalion and will be missed by his many friends in the Regiment”.

In Afghanistan Nick spent seven months as part of Operation Herrick 15, and in the two months prior to his death he had been on deployment at the London 2012 Olympic Games, helping with venue security and marshalling crowds.

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Speaking at the family home in Leeds, just after the tragedy, dad Billy said: “He said [the Olympics] was fantastic. He said it was really good because foreign visitors were saying how nice it was to see soldiers smiling. He was always smiling. He had a lovely nature.

“I talked to him when he came back and he told his war stories. Five days before they were due to come back they had a big contact with insurgents. Nick fired 600 rounds but no-one was hurt. He said ‘five days before coming home it’s not what you want’.

“He got home on Monday afternoon from the Olympics and we had a brilliant day. He got up Tuesday, and just before dinner he said he was off into town to meet some mates.”

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