AR-News: Fish drags angler to death (fwd)

[jim robertson]

>
>Fish drags angler to death
>A fisherman was dragged to his death in the Thames by a powerful
>fish pulling on his line, an inquest has heard.
>Stanley King, who was recovering from an operation, got tangled in his line
>and was pulled into the water at Windsor, Berkshire, after a tug from the
>3.5lb barbel.
>The 60-year-old called for help to his friend John Speer, who was on the
>riverbank, but he was unable to save him from drowning during the night
>time fishing trip.
>The body of the veteran angler, who had recently had an operation on his
>stomach, was not found until the next morning on 6 August this year.
>His friend Mr Speer, 82, has died since the accident, and his son Keith 
>gave
>evidence at the inquest on his behalf.
>Accidental death
>Mr Speer told the coroner his father had heard two splashes and then Mr
>King shouting: "John, John, I've gone in."
>Mr Speer added: "He had a pull from a barbel, a very strong fish, which
>caused the rod tripod to fall over and would account for the small splash.
>"His reaction was to grab the new rod with the fish on it."
>The tug from the fish then made Mr King step onto shingle and slip, the
>inquest heard.
>Mr King's rod and line was later found downstream, with the fish hooked on
>it.
>East Berkshire coroner Peter Bedford recorded a verdict of accidental
>death at an inquest in Windsor on Thursday.
>Only one other angler has drowned on the same stretch of river since 1934,
>according to the Civil Service Angling Society which owns the fishing 
>rights.
>
>Story from BBC NEWS:
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/berkshire/3296465.stm
>

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