Caleb Burgess, aged 22, left a note saying his "final goodbye" to his mother before he was found in the River Mersey, an inquest heard. The "generous and kind" man left a letter on his bed in their Walton home for his mum, Julie, to find.
Note Found and Search Launched
After finding the note, Julie contacted Merseyside Police. Caleb was later found on the bank of the Mersey near Albert Dock on April 7. Evidence read at the inquest, held at Gerard Majella Court in Liverpool on Tuesday, July 21, indicated Caleb had been suffering from poor mental health at the time of his death.
Senior Coroner André Rebello said: "I understand that Caleb suffered with his mental health. His mum called Merseyside Police when she found a note on his bed. The note was almost like a final goodbye."
Postmortem Findings
A postmortem investigation found Caleb, listed as a writer, also had alcohol in his system, indicating he had drunk before his death. On the day he was found, emergency services were dispatched to Canning Dock, where a search was launched and a cordon put in place. Several incident response units from North West Ambulance Service attended, along with fire service vehicles and Merseyside Police officers.
Mr Rebello concluded: "I conclude Caleb died by suicide while suffering with his mental health."
Tribute from Colleagues
Caleb was a familiar face at The Bentley in Liverpool city centre, where he worked with his mother Julie. General manager Ryan Dillon, 36, said Caleb had "up and down periods" but his smile hid his struggles. In a tribute, Ryan urged anyone suffering with mental health to seek support. He said: "Caleb was such a generous and kind person. He was full of life, but he had his dark moments. He was smart, intelligent, he always looked smart and was well dressed. He loved classical music and was never in trouble."
Caleb was described as a "credit to the team." Ryan added: "Some of the team were really close to him. The team are heartbroken, they're all so young. It's so sad, it was such a shock."
The Bentley organised a charity fundraiser in Caleb's memory to raise money for his funeral on behalf of his family. A GoFundMe page was also set up for funeral costs.
