Party boat dangers highlighted after Newcastle clubber's death

Neil Stewart had been on a weekend trip organised by his fiancee

The risks of party boats have been highlighted by a coroner after a UK clubber drowned in a Dutch canal.

Neil Stewart, 30, from Newcastle, "spontaneously" jumped into Amsterdam's North Sea Canal in November 2017, the inquest had heard.

The father-of-two's body was found the following month.

Coroner Karen Dilks recorded a conclusion of accidental death by drowning after three days of evidence at an inquest in Newcastle.

Mr Stewart had been drinking during the day and had taken cannabis and cocaine earlier, the hearing was told. He then drank rum and coke on board the boat.

There was a brief altercation with another guest and Mr Stewart, a wind farm rigger, was taken to an outside smoking deck to calm down.

Ms Dilks said he had "jumped suddenly and spontaneously" from that deck into the water shortly before 00:45.

The skipper reversed the boat and the water was lit up in a bid to locate Mr Stewart, but a rescue boat on the top deck was not launched.

'Risks of boat parties'

The coroner said she was limited in what recommendations she could make to Dutch authorities as she did not have jurisdiction there.

"This case however tragically highlighted the risks of parties on board a boat associated with alcohol or drugs," she said.

Ms Dilks will write to the British event organiser, BTID [Bounce Til I Die], which had two representatives at the hearing.

Her recommendations will include that the firm creates a safety policy clearly documenting steps put in place to keep guests safe. She said that was not a judgment, criticism or punishment for the organisers.

Ms Dilks rejected a submission on behalf of Mr Stewart's family to conclude his death was unlawful, made on the basis the safety boat onboard the party boat was not launched.

Mr Stewart's fiancee, Chelsea Dixon, had told the inquest she organised the weekend away as a surprise and that he had been happy during the trip.