Father who drowned trying to save his daughter may have been pulled under by sinkholes

Dean Price went into the River Esk at Longtown, Cumbria, after seven-year-old Delilah slipped and fell into the water,

Mr Price, a 32-year-old maintenance man, made desperate efforts to keep his daughter's head above the deep water.

The youngster was rescued by Geoff Maxwell, a joiner and off-duty retained firefighter who was working nearby.

However, Mr Price went under the fast-moving, swirling water and disappeared from view. His body was found several hours later by divers.

An inquest was held in Carlisle yesterday.

It was said that the "fit and healthy" married man died as a result of immersion - most likely drowning.

Senior Cumbria coroner David Roberts concluded that his death was an accident.

Mr Roberts praised the intervention of Mr Maxwell, from Langholm, who told the hearing how he bravely pulled Delilah to safety.

The inquest heard that Mr Price, his wife Kelly and their four children were staying near Carlisle on 30th June.

After working in the morning, Mr Price and his family headed to a scenic spot by the River Esk at Longtown around mid-afternoon.

Mrs Price, who could not swim, stayed on the bank with their eight-month-old baby Hosanna. Her husband and the three other children - Emmanuel, aged nine, Montanna, aged eight, and Delilah - went for a paddle in the water.

Although Mrs Price was not present at the inquest, a statement she gave to police was read to the hearing.

She said: "I saw Dean and Delilah in the middle of the river and I saw them go under the water. The next thing I know, a man came and helped."

That was 52-year-old Mr Maxwell, who had been working at a house nearby.

Having heard Mrs Price's screams, he rushed to the river bank, removing his boots and a sweater.

After a moment of hesitation, Mr Maxwell went into the water having seen Delilah's head appear.

"I dived in towards that spot. Just by sheer chance, sheer luck, I touched her under the water," he told the inquest. "I grabbed her hair and pulled her out. As soon as I pulled her out she was coughing and screaming. I knew she was alive if nothing else."

The inquest heard there were believed to be sinkholes in the river bed which could cause people to be sucked under the water.

Mr Roberts stated that could have been the fate that befell Mr Price.

The coroner said: "I am entirely satisfied that Mr Price has gone into the water to rescue his daughter. He, much the same as Mr Maxwell, would not have realised how dangerous the river was at that point.

"Unfortunately, in his effort to keep his daughter above the surface of the river, Mr Price himself has got into difficulty and has been unable to get out, and has died as a result of immersion."

The coroner responded to evidence from Mr Maxwell that on the river bank it was noted that two life belts were missing from their holders.

"In the context of this case, the absence of these really didn't make a significance difference," he said.

But Mr Roberts added: "It is a sad reflection of the times that items which are loosely fixed to these special boards for people in trouble in the river seem to disappear either by theft or vandalism on a regular basis."

Photographs produced at the inquest showed a sign on Longtown Bridge which warned: "It is dangerous to bathe in the river."