Deceased
Kunmanara Cooper
Demographics
36y, male
Date of death
2017-01-21
Finding date
2022-03-29
Cause of death
drowning
AI-generated summary
A 36-year-old Indigenous man drowned in the sea off Ceduna Beach while evading police arrest. He had been in breach of bail conditions and was wanted for alleged assaults. When police attempted to arrest him on the foreshore, he ran into the sea and swam approximately 300 metres offshore before submerging. Police made immediate efforts to launch a rescue boat (launched within 20 minutes) and considered but appropriately did not attempt water entry due to shark sightings, the man's distance from shore, and the known risks of untrained rescue attempts. The coroner found the arrest was lawful, police response was appropriate, and there were no preventable factors. No clinical issues were identified. The death was certified as drowning with no medical mismanagement involved.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
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