A 26-year-old man who couldn't swim drowned while paddleboarding with a friend, an inquest heard. Olumide Favour Giwa from Rochdale fell off the paddleboard when he got into difficulty near the Aira Point in Lancashire close to the ferry pier on August 7.
A four day search was carried out for Olumide was reported missing and his body was found by Cumbria police on August 11. His death was not treated suspiciously at the time and an inquest held at Cockermouth Coroners' Court in Cumbria heard how the 'passionate' and 'caring' man died as a result of drowning.
Olumide's friend was the first person to report him missing after they were unable to find him when they were thrown off the paddleboard. According to LancsLive, search teams including the coastguard, Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, Maryport Inshore Rescue and members of both Patterdale Mountain Rescue Team and the North West Underwater Search Team.
Paying tribute to him, his mum said that he was a 'fantastic child'. She told the court: "He was loved by all of his family and had made lots of friends since coming to the UK.
He enjoyed attending the gym, socialising with friends and he also enjoyed playing music. "I would describe Olumide as very lively, friendly, passionate and caring. Olumide was a fantastic child."
The court heard that on the morning of August 7, Mr Giwa was sitting in the kitchen eating while his mother was getting ready for work. However, they did not discuss the trip to the Lakes and it was never somewhere he had visited.
The family told the court that Mr Giwa was unable to swim having never learned previously.
The first time the family heard that he was missing was at 8pm that night when a police officer knocked at their door to inform them of the news. The court was then told that Mr Giwa, who moved to the UK to live with his mother in 2017, had met his friend at the gym and the pair had decided to go to the Lakes for the day.
They were both inexperienced paddleboarders and Mr Giwa was not wearing a lifejacket or wetsuit. After getting into choppy water in the middle of the lake, they were both tipped off the paddleboard.
Despite his friend being able to get back onto the paddleboard, Mr Giwa remained missing. His friend called on the help of people nearby and after being unable to find him called on the help of the police.
This is when a multi-agency response was launched. Underwater search teams found a body under the water that later turned out to be Mr Giwa.
Concluding the inquest, assistant coroner Robert Cohen said: "In the summer the lakes of Cumbria attract very large numbers of people and can be a delight and a wonderful way of spending time.
"As this case tragically illustrates they can also be dangerous. This is an example, sadly not the only example, of a situation that should have been an enjoyable experience ending in tragedy.
"Mr Giwa and another person embarked on a paddleboarding trip but on the course of that trip, Mr Giwa fell off the paddleboard, probably as a result of unstable water. He was not wearing a buoyancy aid and could not swim, very sadly as a result of falling from the board he came into difficulties and drowned."
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