THERE are conflicting reports as to why the narrowboat sank in the lock on the Droitwich Canal and how the man came to die.
The latest is that the boat was 'trapped in the lock gates' and sunk, though the gates are closed, and another report tells that the man went down to his sunken boat to retrieve valuables and somehow or other died.
Trapped on the boat
But somehow or other it seems he was trapped on the boat in the bottom of the lock so an onlooker called the emergency services with paramedics and fire-fighters attending, Alan Tilbury tells us.
Being a narrow lock, the elderly woman on the boat was able to escape before it sank, with the paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance Service giving attention to the man on board, but they were unable to save him, he being pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigation
An investigation is now taking place as a result of the death, with a spokesman for Canal & River Trust stating that 'it would assist with any investigation to see if any measures were needed to prevent a repeat of the tragic incident', adding that 'accidents like this are very rare'.
It is not clear if the spokesman is referring to the death or the sinking, but if the sinking, it most certainty is not rare, as there have been literally hundreds of boats sunk in locks.
The inquest should reveal the facts.