A 21-year-old man died from cold water shock after accidentally falling into a river following a team-building day out, an inquest was told.
Sebastian Sailes vanished after he left The Black Horse pub in Chippenham, Wiltshire, on 27 February 2025. It was -5C (23F) that night and the ground was slippery near the River Avon where he walked, the inquest was told.
Following a huge search mission, including police divers and volunteers, his body was recovered from the river12 days later.
Coroner Grant Davies ruled that Sailes’ death was a “tragic accident”, adding the circumstances of how he entered the water remain unclear.
Speaking at Swindon and Wiltshire Coroners’ Court on Tuesday, Harry Haynes, a pathologist at Great Western Hospital, said Sailes was likely to have suffered cold water shock when he entered the river.