November 25, 2020 5.17 pm This story is over 39 months old

Lincoln man drowned in fishing lake after drinking and taking drugs

An inquest heard he took ketamine and cocaine

Lincoln man Andrew Weavers, known as Arnie, died in a Lincoln fishing lake this summer after taking drugs and drowning, an inquest heard.

Arnie, who was 27 when he died, had been out socialising with friends during the evening of August 12 and shortly before midnight he was part of a group of young people who gathered at Starmers Pit in Lincoln, located near Sainsbury’s supermarket.

During the early hours of August 13, Arnie joined other members of his group swimming. He did not appear to be in any distress and was seen to go under the water, but did not resurface, an inquest earlier this month heard.

The body of Arnie was recovered later that morning after underwater searches were carried out.

Police said at the time the death was not being treated as suspicious and an inquest was opened on August 28.

The inquest was then heard before HM Acting Senior Coroner Paul Smith at the Myle Cross Centre on November 13.

The coroner was told how Arnie consumed a modest amount of alcohol and also taken a quantity of both ketamine and cocaine.

The medical cause of death was confirmed at the inquest as asphyxia, drowning and ketamine misuse.

It was also noted in the record of inquest that “on the balance of probabilities his death was the unintended consequence of his decision to go swimming having consumed both drugs and alcohol”.

The conclusion of the coroner as to the death was misadventure.

Tributes poured in for Arnie after his death and a fundraiser to honour him raised over £2,900.