Storm drain death 'accidental'

Michael Barnett died from hypothermia in raging floodwater despite a four-hour operation to free him from the drain in Hessle, Hull, on June 25.

An inquest jury in Hull has heard how Mr Barnett, who worked at a nearby tropical fish business, went into the drain but became stuck in a temporary grille covering a concrete culvert.

The jury of five men and five women came to its decision after Hull Coroner Geoffrey Saul directed them that the only verdict they could lawfully come to was one of accidental death.

In returning his verdict, the jury foreman said Mr Barnett died when "in a selfless act to help others and without thought for his own safety, he became trapped in a flooded drain".

After the verdict, Mr Saul said he would be writing to the appropriate national authorities to report the "gap" in emergency services provision for underwater rescue.

The inquest heard how firefighters were not trained to use their cutting equipment under water and police divers were only trained in search rather than rescue techniques. Mr Saul said the evidence showed "a gap to exist nationally in the provision of rescue services".

"It has become clear that neither the fire service, the police nor the ambulance service have an underwater rescue capability," he said.

The coroner said he was going to write to the appropriate authority at a national level to report this gap.

Earlier, talking about this gap in provision, Mr Saul said that although the events surrounding Mr Barnett's death were wholly exceptional, climate change may mean emergency services could expect to be dealing with more flooding incidents.