An inquest has heard that a teenager who drowned at a Greater Manchester beauty spot had used cannabis before sliding into the water on an airbed. Karl James Stuart Holland died after getting into difficulty in the water at Dovestone Reservoir in Oldham on July 10.
An inquest at Rochdale Coroners' Court heard on Friday (October 9) that Karl had been socialising with friends at the beauty spot on a sunny day when they decided to slide down a slope and into the water on an airbed. Assistant coroner Michael Salt found cannabis, which toxicology reports found Karl had used before his death, contributed "more than minimally" to his death.
No suspicious circumstances
Police evidence heard at the inquest stated there were no suspicious circumstances or evidence of third-party involvement in his death. The court also heard there was no evidence that Karl had intended to harm himself. Recording a conclusion of misadventure, Mr Salt described the death as a "very sad" loss of a young man.
Karl, who was born in Tameside and lived in Denton, had visited Dovestone Reservoir with friends on previous occasions and had slid down a similar slope before, the inquest heard. It is understood that the "slide" was a "a steep causeway into a body of water," according to police evidence.
Friends' account of the incident
One of his friends, Aidan Heslop Gettings, said in written evidence that a group had travelled to the reservoir in an Uber to "make good use of the sunny weather by going for a swim and chilling together". He said they were sitting in a grassy area near the water, where lots of other groups were. "We shared a spliff and it was passed around between us," he told the court.
After walking along a mountain path with Karl and their friend Toby Wild, he said they came across a slope and a partially-inflated airbed. Karl had seen videos on Instagram of people using similar objects to slide into the water and suggested they try it, the inquest heard. Aidan said the group sat on the airbed, with Karl on the left and Toby in the middle, before sliding down into the water. He said they hit the water and, when they resurfaced, the two friends realised Karl was missing.
"We both looked at each other and asked where Karl was," he said, adding that he then called his mum to tell her what happened. Toby went to seek help and used another person’s phone to call 999 after his own phone had died, the inquest heard. Aiden said it took "a while" for emergency services to arrive. Karl was retrieved from the water and pronounced dead at the scene, despite attempts to resuscitate him.
Post-mortem findings
Detective Inspector Steven Horton, of Greater Manchester Police, told the inquest officers had found Karl on a stretcher and covered in foil when they arrived at the scene. DI Horton said there was a "50p-sized bruise" to the right side of his forehead. Karl's dad, Russell Holland, told the hearing in his statement he could not understand how his son had drowned because he was a "good swimmer". He also raised concerns that Karl might have suffered a head injury before entering the water.
A post-mortem examination found that a small bruise to the right side of his forehead, along with abrasions to his chin and upper shoulder, had not caused or contributed to his death. Pathologist Dr Titi found water in Karl's lungs and stomach, with the cause of death recorded as drowning. Toxicology tests also detected low levels of cannabis, which the pathologist considered to be a contributing factor to his death.
The inquest also heard about the impact of the death of Karl's mum, Laura, who died suddenly from a brain haemorrhage around five years ago. His dad said Karl had been close to his mum and that her death had affected him. However, there was no evidence that Karl had intended to harm himself. Russell had seen his son the week before his death and said he had been "very happy" after getting his own flat. A GP, Dr Hayman of Albion Medical Practice, who gave evidence to the inquest, also reported no indication that Karl had any thoughts of harming himself.
Coroner's warning
His friend Toby, who supplied written evidence to the court, said Karl had "a lot of friends" and "everyone loved him". The Manchester Evening News previously reported that tributes were paid to Karl following his death, with friends describing him as "the most kind-hearted, beautiful boy". One friend described him as "the life and soul of any and every party", adding that he would "lift the mood the second he walked into the room with his big smile and his long curly hair".
Concluding the inquest, Mr Salt said Karl had been socialising with friends when he entered the water and got into difficulty. He said the 18-year-old had taken cannabis, which "may have affected his decision-making". While his friends had undertaken the same activity "were fine", the coroner highlighted the risks associated with entering water that is "not approved for swimming". He warned that the water could be really cold and that there may be obstructions beneath the surface.
He described his death as a "salutary tale that even when you are a good swimmer, it is sensible to refrain from entering the water under any circumstances". "My condolences to all of Karl's family. I know he had an extensive family and he was very popular amongst his friend group," Mr Salt added.
