Mystery still surrounds angler's death
MYSTERY surrounds the death of an angler whose body was found six days after he went missing while out fishing.
An inquest heard George Darbyshire, 61, took up fishing two months before he went missing from the beach at Horden, on January 13 this year.
He had walked with his rod from his home in Aged Miners' Cottages, Blackhall.
Mr Darbyshire's wife, Rose, told the hearing at Chester-le-Street
Magistrates' Court she phoned her husband on his mobile at around 12.20pm on the day he disappeared.
"He said a wave had swept over him and he was very wet," said Mrs Darbyshire. "He said he was coming home, that was the last I heard from him."
Mrs Darbyshire said her husband was not an experienced fisherman, having only taken up the hobby the previous November.
When he went missing he was wearing jeans, a black jumper under a green bodywarmer and black boots.
But when his body was found half a mile away he was wearing very little clothing, the inquest was told.
North Durham coroner Andrew Tweddle said he may have been overcome by
hypothermia due to the cold and the wet and had then shed his clothes.
"Hypothermia can cause the body to react in an unusual way and can cause the victim to take off their clothes," said the coroner.
"Another possibility is a wave could have swept him out to sea."
Police, coastguards, mountain rescue teams and an RAF helicopter launched a major search after Mrs Darbyshire reported her husband missing.
His body was found by another angler six days later.
The coroner recorded an open verdict.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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