A man who drowned in Lake Burbury on the West Coast in 2022 was likely thrown from his boat after it hit a submerged tree, a coroner has found.
The 47-year-old from the Derwent Valley, identified only as DS, was last seen alive on February 12, 2022, after leaving home for a weekend fishing trip.
He launched his boat from the Lake Burbury campsite that day and was seen fishing and returning to refuel before heading out again.
When he failed to return home that night, his friends initially did not find it strange as he regularly stayed out on the water.
However, they became concerned the next morning when he still had not arrived back and began searching the lake before calling the police.
Coroner Robert Webster said local police found DS “suspended head down under the water” after spotting the sole of his boot floating on the surface at around 3:52pm on February 13.
He was not wearing a life jacket.
His boat was located the next day by a police helicopter.
Webster said police believe DS hit a submerged tree in the water and was thrown from the boat, unable to keep himself above the water and subsequently drowned.
“In the absence of any evidence leading to the conclusion that he fell into the water due to a medical event, I am satisfied he fell into the water in the circumstances suggested,” Webster said.
“The evidence of damage to the inside of the boat suggests an unexpected fall as a result of the boat running aground or hitting a submerged tree or log.”
Webster said DS was drift fishing with the boat’s engine in neutral at the time of the fall.
“Had he not been drift fishing then given his safety conscious nature I would have expected him to have been wearing his life jacket,” Webster said.
“There is no evidence DS’s death occurred otherwise than by accident.”
The coroner recommended amending boating by-laws so that people who are alone and on a motor boat in smooth waters are required to wear an approved life jacket even when not under power.
“That is for example when they are drift fishing or stopped in order to have lunch,” he said.
“In my view further deaths may well be prevented if the by-laws are amended.”
