Canal deaths of man and carer unexplained - inquest

Left, Aaron Ritchie and right, Ceri John Jenkins drowned in the canal while out on one of their regular walks

It may never be known exactly how a man with severe autism and epilepsy and his "extraordinary" support worker fell into a freezing canal before they died, an inquest has concluded.

Aaron Ritchie, 49, and his 60-year-old carer Ceri John Jenkins drowned after falling into the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Wigan, Abram, in November 2023.

The pair had been on a walk along the canal near Cankwood Road, a route they took regularly.

Coroner Timothy Brennand told their families at an inquest on Thursday that the circumstances that lead to both men entering the water were simply "unknowable".

At Bolton Coroner's Court, Mr Brennand said there was "no direct evidence, no CCTV, nobody who saw anything, or heard any cries or splashes".

Police and ambulance crews were called on 26 November 2023 and despite "extensive resuscitation efforts" at Bolton Royal Hospital and the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, both men were later pronounced dead.

The Leeds Liverpool Canal passes through areas of Wigan in Greater Manchester

Mr Brennand noted the 10 to 15 minute gap between the last time the two men were seen alive and when their bodies were discovered in the canal by a passing cyclist.

Mr Jenkins, who worked at Mayfield House care home, where he helped care for Mr Ritchie, may have entered the water in a bid to rescue Mr Ritchie, as this was "his character", the hearing was told.

The care worker had previously rescued a student from drowning while working at a school in Wigan.

'Our hero'

Mr Ritchie's epilepsy had started to flare up the evening prior to his death and along with his "moderate" mobility issues, may have contributed to an accidental fall, the inquest was told.

He died as a result of drowning in cold water where the circumstances by which he came to enter the water are undetermined but were unintended.

Mr Brennand told his family that he was clearly a person who "touched many lives notwithstanding the constraints of his disability".

Mr Jenkins was found to have drowned under circumstances that remain unknown.

The coroner told his family he understood the outcome might be "frustrating" for them.

"This is a case where there's still a lot that is unknown," he said.

Paying tribute to his brother after the conclusion, Huw Jenkins said his death had "ripped a big hole" in the family.

"Ceri was our hero," he said.

"He would do anything for anyone, and would always put others before himself.

"Even though we will never have closure about his loss, we will always celebrate his legacy."

The coroner commended the Canals and River Trust on their work but called for safety recommendations to be shared more directly with care workers of vulnerable individuals.