Iain Farrell

On the 30th May 2019, an investigation was commenced into the death of Iain Richard Farrell, born on the 20th April 1970.

The investigation concluded at the end of the Inquest on the 29th September 2023.

The Medical Cause of Death was:

1a Drowning

1b

1c The conclusion of the Inquest recorded that Iain Richard Farrell died as a consequence of misadventure in circumstances where he inhaled sea water after he had become breathless during a swim. After having been extracted from the sea onto a ledge by the instructor, a large wave swept him back into the water. This occurred in a challenging sea state during a led coasteering experience. Prior to starting the activity, Mr Farrell had expressed that he was not a confident swimmer.

On 26th May 2019 Mr Farrell took part in a led coasteering activity at Hedbury Quarry with his two sons, , and 6 other participants, two of which were also children. None of the group had previous experience of coasteering. Mr Farrell was not a confident swimmer. The group was led by a single experienced freelance coasteering guide, , working for Land and Wave, a local outdoor activities provider.

Hedbury Quarry is a remote location off the South West Coast Path. It is approximately a 20 minute walk from the nearest carpark. It is known that there is no phone signal along this particular stretch of the coastline.

The guide was equipped with safety items, including a floating rope. In a “safety bag”, which was left in a central location on the coasteering route, was further safety equipment, including a VHF radio.

The sea state on 26th May 2019 was challenging at the start of the session and this became worse as the session progressed.

At the start of the session the coasteering group were asked to jump into the water from a sea ledge, assisted by the coasteering guide. They were instructed to swim away from the rocks and form a safety raft, before swimming in a westerly direction. During the swim, Mr Farrell became breathless and exhausted. The guide stayed with Mr Farrell to encourage and support him and subsequently made the decision to lead Mr Farrell to the shore with a view to getting him out of the water and cancelling the session. The rest of the group were instructed to form a safety raft and remain in the sea.

The guide used a length of “floating rope” to tow Mr Farrell to a sea ledge from which they would both be able to leave the coastline. However, once Mr Farrell had managed to climb onto the ledge with the guide, both were swept back into the sea by a large wave. It is likely that, at this point, Mr Farrell inhaled sufficient sea water to begin the process of drowning. Minutes later he became unresponsive in the sea. The guide recovered Mr Farrell to a sea ledge and began CPR. He was unable to make his way to the rescue bag. The remaining coasteering group, who were now drifting further out to sea and westwards, were able to attract the attention of climbers at Hedbury Quarry, who were, in turn, able to access the rescue bag and raise the alarm using the VHF radio. HM Coastguard were contacted approximately 15 minutes after Mr Farrell became unresponsive in the water. The emergency services, including the RNLI, HM Coastguard, South Western Ambulance Service and the Police attended the scene. Despite resuscitation efforts, Mr Farrell was confirmed deceased.

There is no regulatory body for coasteering, but written guidance is provided by the National Coasteering Charter (“NCC”). The current guidance was issued in 2015. Coasteering providers and guides are not obliged to follow the guidance, though a significant number of providers and guides are NCC members.