Safety criticism after lake death

David Phillips died after the canoe he was in capsized on Lake Vyrnwy

A man who drowned when a canoe capsized at a beauty spot was not given proper safety advice, an inquest jury found.

David Phillips, 68, was in a boat with his wife, Brenda, when it overturned on Lake Vyrnwy, Powys, in August 2004.

The couple, from near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, hired the canoe from outdoor pursuits company Bethania Adventure, the Welshpool inquest heard.

The jury recorded a narrative verdict and said some safety issues may have contributed to his death.

They said that the safety advice given was inadequate and there was no advice offered about a boundary that canoeists were not permitted to pass.

The jury also found that Mr Phillips' buoyancy aid was not sufficient and that he had not been given a safety whistle before he took to the water.

They said safety sweeps of the lake by Bethania Adventure, owned by David Proctor, were not consistent enough.

The inquest, which started last month, heard that the couple had been holidaying in the Lake Vyrnwy area.

Mrs Phillips said she and her husband had clung onto the canoe after it overturned, and some time later they decided to swim to the shore.

But she told the hearing that they were both poor swimmers and she struggled to do a length of a pool, while her husband would have had difficulty covering a width.

During her evidence, Mrs Phillips said Mr Proctor had not made clear where they could paddle.

Safety sweeps

Bethania Adventure was licensed to operate boats in part of the lake which was leased from water company Severn Trent, but Mrs Phillips said the boundary had not been made clear to them.

However, Mr Proctor said it had been made clear to the couple before they set off.

The buoyancy aid the pair were wearing on the day was also called into question.

But canoeing experts told the inquest that the aids met regulations, as did the canoe the couple used.

Mr Proctor told the inquest that he and an assistant carried out regular safety sweeps of the lake by speed boat and from the shore.

On the day of Mr Phillips' death, 2 August, wind speeds at the lake had increased.

Mr Phillips was pulled out the water by passers-by, but paramedics' attempts to revive him failed.