Family calls for better riverside safety after death of father, 29

THE family of a man who drowned in the River Hull have renewed calls for safety improvements following an inquest into his death.

Patrick Stewart’s desperate cries for help were heard by a worker at a nearby hostel, but a search by the police helicopter, inshore lifeboat and police failed to find him, and it was called off after 45 minutes.

The father-of-three’s body was found lying in the mud of the Dock basin around five hours later.

An inquest in Hull heard that the 29-year-old had been seen sitting alone on a bench close to the Basin around 7.30pm on the evening of Wednesday June 2, apparently drunk and “swaying around”.

Kathryn Broom, who works at the Hull Homeless and Rootless Project at Dock House, on St Peter Street, was stripping a bed in an upstairs room, when she heard the cries.

She told the inquest: “It was a very hot night so I opened the windows. I heard a voice cry ‘help me, help me’. I though that didn’t sound right.

“Voices can carry from the bridge so I went to the window and had a look. I couldn’t see anyone on the bridge. It was very dark. I went back to stripping the bed. I heard a voice shouting ‘help me, help me’.

“I switched the bedroom light off, but again I couldn’t see anybody. I thought: ‘This doesn’t feel right’. As I was coming downstairs I could hear, help me, help me again, but I never heard any splashing of water.”

Ms Broom called 999 and police arrived on the scene within minutes, followed by the helicopter, an ambulance and the lifeboat, which scanned the river with its powerful lights.

Pc Andrew Steven said they used torches to shine across the basin, before walking up the river to the Clarence Street Bridge, but there were no signs of anyone in the water.

A post mortem examination showed that Mr Stewart was four times over the drink-drive limit for alcohol – close to the fatal limit.

There was also evidence in the blood of methadone – a combination which pathologist Dr Alistair MacDonald said was “likely” to have affected his ability to control his ability to move and his decision-making processes.

Mr Stewart’s family are convinced that he was pushed in. There were no guard rails in the area or lighting and afterwards his sister Kelly Stewart said the area should be better protected.

Ms Stewart said: “It’s too easy for someone to fall in. It will happen again if nothing is sorted.”

Mr Stewart had been about to go on an alcohol rehabilitation programme when he died.

Kate O’Kane, with whom Mr Stewart had a son Leon, said: “He was in a really good mood that day. My neighbour said: ‘Are you back home?’ He said: ‘I will be soon.”

She added: “There were 250 to 300 people at his funeral. He was a good person, he was a brilliant Dad.”

There have been a number of deaths in the river in recent years, prompting calls for action.

A report by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents was commissioned by the council after two drownings, one near Myton Bridge in 2008, when Paul Webster, 29, died after falling from Myton Bridge. In 2007 student Xavier Findlator, 20, died after “skylarking” on North Bridge in the early hours.

An inquest heard police were unable to find any life-saving equipment in the area.

The report found there were hardly any information signs at key sites and “inconsistencies" in the level of barriers and rescue equipment. Earlier this year Hull Council said it had carried out risk assessments and made improvements at “several” locations.

Coroner Rosemary Baxter returned a verdict of accidental death.