A dad-of-three tragically drowned after diving head-first into a river to rescue a football during a game with friends at a family festival.
The 40-year-old man, James Griffin, ran after the ball after losing it during a 45 minute kick-about. After trying to reach the ball for a while, he cried out and disappeared into the water and the next time people saw him was when his body was found tangled in reeds. He he got into difficulty in the River Ouse, Cambridge, and drowned.
An inquest heard how the keen pool player was playing football with friends at the St Neots Dragon Boat race in Cambs on the morning of August 29 last year. After losing the ball in the nearby river, he and friends discussed buying another £1 ball or asking his close friend Warren Gaunt's wife Louise to bring another, before he walked to the team's gazebo and grabbed his towel.
Mr Gaunt told the inquest in Huntingdon, Cambs, that Mr Griffen was his "usual happy go lucky self" when he tried to persuade him not to enter the water.
This is where Mr Griffin drowned
Mr Gaunt said: "I knew instantly what he was going to do. I heard a voice say 'where are you going?"
He replied: "I might as well get it as none of you will."
Mr Gaunt told how he tried to dissuade him from jumping in but he carried on walking. But Mr Griffin then walked over to the river bank, removed his shirt and dived head first into the river.
He resurfaced almost immediately, a short distance from where he entered the water and started swimming front crawl towards the ball on the other side of the river. There was no one else in the river and as Mr Griffin made it around halfway across he appeared to tire.
After a while, Mr Caunt heard him shout, "help me" before his head went under the water.
Two men on the opposite river bank jumped in and try and rescue the keen sportsman. Mr Caunt became concerned and shouted "help my mate he's drowning", before managing to get a boat owner to take him out onto the river to help.
They were unsuccessful and couldn't locate his body.
Emergency services searching for Mr Griffin
The emergency services were then called and Mr Caunt left the river after being advised to let the professionals take over. Mr Griffin's body was found entangled in reeds in the river just before 3pm that day. The body was identified by PC Trudy-Jo Paine from photos, an hour later.
He was declared lifeless by paramedics at the scene and his body was taken to Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. A post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr Malaviya, a pathologist. He found no suggestions in Mr Griffin's medical history of medical conditions that could have contributed to his death.
In his opinion his death was caused by drowning.
A Toxicologist Emma Durkin also carried out an examination of Mr Griffin's body. She found no alcohol in his blood stream therefore assistant coroner Simon Millburn ruled that despite Mr Griffin being seen drinking two cans of lager on the day, alcohol has played no role in his death.
Recording a verdict of death by misadventure he said: "The medical cause of death is as stated in the post-mortem and that is death was down to drowning. In terms of the why, how, when and where it is clear that Mr Griffin died some time around 9.40am on August 29, 2015 in the River Ouse in St Neots. It is clear that he drowned whilst attempting to retrieve a football from the river."
He added: "It is clear that Mr Griffin's actions in getting into the river and trying to retrieve the football were a deliberate act of his belief that he needed to get in and swim across to try and retrieve it.
"What happened as he was swimming across in unclear. Whether he misjudged the distance, the strength of the current or became tangled in reeds, that is not 100% clear.
Recording a verdict of death by misadventure he said: "The medical cause of death is as stated in the post-mortem and that is death was down to drowning. In terms of the why, how, when and where it is clear that Mr Griffin died some time around 9.40am on August 29, 2015 in the River Ouse in St Neots. It is clear that he drowned whilst attempting to retrieve a football from the river."
He added: "It is clear that Mr Griffin's actions in getting into the river and trying to retrieve the football were a deliberate act of his belief that he needed to get in and swim across to try and retrieve it.
"What happened as he was swimming across in unclear. Whether he misjudged the distance, the strength of the current or became tangled in reeds, that is not 100% clear.
"But it is clear that what happened was unintended. He got into the river deliberately but the subsequent consequence of his drowning was unintended."
Mr Griffin was married to Beccy and lived in St Neots, Cambs.
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