A British tourist who drowned in a Venice canal just hours after arriving in the Italian city was mistaken for a dolphin, an inquest has revealed.
Catchawan Thongpia, 31, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was found unresponsive and floating in the water after leaving his hotel 'for a smoke' in November last year. The surfer was discovered by a member of the public, Giorgio Savardine, who initially thought he was a dolphin.
Mr Thongpia was pulled out of the Rio de Santa Marina by emergency services and pronounced dead at the scene. An inquest in Northallerton heard that it remains unknown how he ended up in the water.
Police Investigation
Italian police believe he may have accidentally fallen in after losing his balance while leaning on railings. CCTV footage appeared to show Mr Thongpia lean on railings at the canal side before he disappeared from the camera frame.
North Yorkshire coroner Catherine Devereux said: 'Police reports confirmed there to be no third-party involvement or suspicious circumstances and indicate Mr Thongpia may have leant against a railing present at the location and accidentally fallen in.'
She added: 'It remains the case however that no one actually witnessed how Mr Thongpia came to be in the canal that evening.'
Witness Account
Mr Thongpia had left the four-star hotel where he was staying on a five-day trip with his girlfriend. He was seen in the water by Mr Savardine at around 6.30pm on November 3.
Mr Savardine said in a statement: 'It was dark so I was thinking about the dolphin that was seen some days before in the lagoon. After approximately one minute of considering that the current was carrying it towards me, I realised it was a human body. I immediately shouted to grab his attention and help him but I realised he was unconscious and not responding.'
He said he tried to hang from bars on a bridge to grab him while another family called for emergency services.
Post-Mortem and Conclusion
A post-mortem examination found Mr Thongpia died from 'violent mechanical asphyxia due to drowning'. The coroner recorded an open conclusion following the inquest.
