A dad drowned when he went out on his new paddle board for the first time with his wife and children despite not being able to swim, an inquest heard today. Julian Luffman had bought two boards a month earlier despite suffering from arthritis, which affected his mobility meaning he could not swim 'at all', his wife told the court.
On the tragic day last year, the Luffmans went out on the paddle boards with their son and daughter. Neither Mrs Luffman nor her 51 year old husband wore a lifejacket, with Mr Luffman only wearing a T-shirt and shorts.
Olesya Luffman, who was on a windsurfer and wearing a wetsuit, told the court she shouted for her husband to come back as he strayed passed her, half a mile out from the shore of Lepe Beach in Hampshire's New Forest. But as the father of two turned around, his inflatable paddle board wobbled and he fell feet first into the sea with his head going under the water.
