Heart condition caused hospital patient to drown - inquest

The inquest heard how sea swimming was one of Joannis Kallias's biggest passions

An inquest into the death of a man who drowned in Archirondel Bay has found he had a heart attack while swimming.

Joannis Kallias, 66, was a patient at St Saviour's Hospital when he died in August 2022.

The inquest at Morier House, St Helier, was told Kallias had been free to leave the mental health facility to spend time with family.

Acting Coroner, Advocate Cyril Whelan, said an undetected heart condition led to the "tragic outcome".

On the afternoon of 25 August 2022 Mr Kallias had travelled to Archirondel Bay with his sister and elderly mother to go swimming.

The inquest heard how he had been confident in water and how sea swimming was one of his biggest passions.

Yasmin Hind, his sister, had been on the shore when she saw him struggling in the water and raised the alarm.

In a statement she said her brother was "very clever" with a particular aptitude for languages.

She said Mr Kallias had loved swimming and his family and that they would miss him very much.

Advocate Whelan praised the efforts of a paddleboarder who gave CPR as well as the skipper of a passing RIB boat who pulled him on board and took him to St Catherine's to meet an ambulance.

He said: "In a world that can sometimes seem to lack kindness and compassion, their efforts are to be applauded."