A NIGHT of revelry, messing around in a boat, had fatal consequences for a Hereford man, an inquest heard.

The body of 30-year-old Mark Owens was plucked from the River Wye nearly two years ago after he spent a night out drinking with friends at the Crystal Rooms in Hereford.

Hereford pathologist, Dr Mark Hayes, confirmed that Mr Owens had died from asphyxia due to drowning.

Tests revealed that Mr Owens blood contained a large volume of alcohol and traces of MDMA (a derivative of ecstasy) as well as the presence of a haemorrhage caused by the direct traumatic injuries he sustained during the incident.

A statement from Mr Owens' friend Steven Anderson, a volunteer worker from Leytonstone, London, revealed how they decided to use one of two boats moored by the Saracens Head Pub to return to his Eign Road home in the early hours of May 27, 2001.

The pair were joined by a third man, David Hugh Mason, a stranger stranded in Hereford after a night out, after Mr Owens offered him a place to stay.

Mr Anderson said: "We decided to take the smaller boat to Mark's house which is by the river. We got stuck on the bottom in the middle of the river.

Alarm raised

"Mark took off his shoes and swam back to the big boat, he then got back into the water with a big lump of wood."

Concerned after Mr Owens did not return for a few minutes Mr Anderson shouted, 'If you are in trouble, say, and I will be able to help'.

"He did not answer apart from once when he said he was OK. I thought he was messing around."

Police were in the area after security staff at Left Bank Village reported one of the boats was being stolen and the two men raised the alarm.

Fire fighters recovered Mr Owens body from a deep sump nearby and although CPR was carried out at the scene, paramedics were unable to revive him.

Coroner, David Halpern said: "It seems quite clear that Mark and the other two lads had been out drinking and it seems Mark was probably taking drugs.

"It seems he went back to the barge boat to collect a piece of wood - he was going to prise the boat with it and got into difficulties.

"It may not appear to be quite so dangerous around the Saracens Head but we know there are some quite deep pools, particularly around the old bridge."

Mr Halpern recorded a verdict of accidental death.