Llangollen river death canoeist died of heart failure

Sep 8 2008 By David Simister

A CANOEIST who died in the River Dee near Llangollen suffered from heart failure after being trapped in the cold water, an inquest heard last Friday (September 4).

42-year-old Roger Bates, who worked as a finance assistant at the University of Sussex, in Brighton, lost his life when canoeing with a colleague and two instructors in the Vale on April 19 this year.

Student Paul Fritz, who was in the canoe behind Mr Bates, said: "We were having a field day, we were all loving it.

"I saw Roger capsize and flip back up. He went again, but this time he came out of the boat. The current washed him down to a fallen tree. Before I knew it I was in the same spot and I came out of my boat in the same area Roger had."

After Mr Bates and his canoe were forced by the current against the fallen tree in the river, colleagues made a brave attempt to rescue him but were forced to head for the river bank when the current became too strong.

Simon Fisher, one of the instructors travelling with the group, gathered equipment and made another attempt to rescue Mr Bates, but the canoeist was unconscious by the time the instructor reached him.

Although Mr Fisher held Mr Bates’ head above the water level until his canoe could be removed, the finance assistant was pronounced dead at 2.41pm that day after being airlifted to Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

Friends and colleagues paid tribute to Mr Bates following the inquest into his death, held last Thursday (September 4).

"Roger was a much-valued and popular member of staff, who was cheerful and outgoing, with many friends among his colleagues and our students" Allan Spencer, Director of the University of Sussex Finance Division, where Mr Bates had worked for a total of nine years

"He is much-missed by those who worked with him and we were all deeply saddened by his death."

Deputy coroner for North East Wales John Gittins recorded a verdict of accidental death at the inquest, held in Flint.