Coroner urges government to act after man drowns at open water swimming event

A coroner has urged the government to take action after a 55-year-old man drowned at an open water swimming event.

Joel Kenneth Ineson died at Hetton Lyons Park in Sunderland on June 1 2023 after suffering a cardiac event while taking part in an organised open water swim.

At the conclusion of an inquest held on April 4, David Place, senior coroner for the City of Sunderland, recorded a conclusion of accidental death.

The medical cause of death was given as drowning, with diffuse myocardial scarring as a contributing factor.

In a formal report aimed at preventing future deaths, Mr Place warned that the growing popularity of open water swimming was not matched by sufficient oversight or regulation.

He said Mr Ineson had a “reasonable expectation that appropriate safety measures would be in place” at the event, which was organised, well attended and charged participants a small fee.

Although the safety issues raised were not found to have caused Mr Ineson’s death, Mr Place said there was a risk of further fatalities unless changes were made.

He wrote: “The evidence highlighted uncertainty and confusion with regard to responsibility for aspects of safety measures.

“Some participants did not receive a safety briefing, there was a lack of knowledge about the competency of swimmers, and no understanding of how many people were in the water at any one time.”

“It became clear in evidence that the activity does not require a licence from the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and can be undertaken and/or organised by anyone without regulation.”

The report also noted an absence of formal requirements around risk assessments, emergency plans, sign-in/out procedures, and organiser training.

Mr Place sent the warning – known as a Regulation 28 report – to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and to the chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive.

They have until June 5 2025 to respond, setting out what action they propose to take or explaining why none is planned.