Mystery of young man’s canal death
FATHER WANTS TO SEE IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY ALONG STRETCH OF WATERWAY
A YOUNG man was found dead in a canal six days after he went missing following a night out with friends.
But police have no ‘definitive answer’ as to how Caspar Blackburn, 22, ended up in the Bridgewater Canal in Sale, an inquest into his death was told.
The investigation has ruled out any ‘third party involvement.’
But the inquest heard there was nothing to prevent anyone going into the water and no lighting by the stretch of canal where he was found.
The inquest, at Stockport Coroners Court, heard that Casper – an assistant retail manager who lived with his family on Newland Drive, Sale – was ‘highly intelligent, kind and gentle.’
His father told the hearing he wanted to see ‘improvements in safety’ along the canal, including lighting and CCTV.
Caspar went missing in the early hours of October 1 last year after leaving The Slug and Lettuce bar in Sale with a friend.
The inquest heard he had been drinking Jack Daniels and Coke earlier at a friend’s house before drinking vodka and whisky inside the venue.
A friend he was with, Joel Pecak, said he saw Caspar sitting on a bench outside the bar after they left and Caspar told him that he was ‘too steaming’ to talk to a group of girls.
The inquest heard he had fallen off a bar stool earlier in the night, but other friends giving evidence said he appeared to be ‘perfectly normal.’
Caspar, who worked at Carpetright in Macclesfield, was last sighted on CCTV leaving the venue at 2.03am.
His father, Robert Blackburn, said the family contacted police the following Monday after he failed to arrive home or collect his car from a friend’s house.
His body was found in a stretch of the canal near The Slug and Lettuce on October 7.
Pathologist Dr Michael Scott gave a cause of death as drowning.
He said a person could suffer ‘rapid deterioration from entering water unexpectedly’ and revealed Caspar, a motoring enthusiast, was almost twice the legal drink-drive limit.
No illicit drugs were found in his system.
Det Insp Carl Gilbert said: “We are not able to give any definitive answer as to how Caspar came to be in the water. We were not able to identify any third party involvement.” In response to Mr Blackburn’s call for safety improvements, assistant coroner Rachel Galloway said: “I will consider whether there is anyone I can raise that with.
“I am minded to write a letter because I share your concern.” More than 10,000 people backed a petition for CCTV and railings to be installed around canals following Caspar’s death. The inquest was adjourned until next Thursday when a conclusion is expected to be delivered. Proceeding
We are not able to give a definitive answer as to how Caspar came to be in the water Det Insp Carl Gilbert