Finding into death of Keith Flower
Deceased
Keith Flower
Demographics
27y, male
Date of death
2012-02-21
Finding date
2014-01-23
Cause of death
Drowning
AI-generated summary
Keith Flower, aged 27, drowned in the Yarra River after entering the water while intoxicated with friends. He had consumed approximately four pints of full-strength beer over four hours and despite attempts to dissuade him, entered the river from a stairwell. He struggled in strong currents at approximately 3.1 metres depth with zero visibility and could not be located despite rescue efforts. The coroner's investigation identified this as part of a broader pattern: 14 drowning deaths occurred in the same section of the Yarra River between 2000-2013, with 11 having detectable blood alcohol levels. The coroner highlighted alcohol as a significant contributing factor in young male drowning deaths and made recommendations for targeted prevention interventions in high-risk areas of Melbourne, particularly around Crown Casino and Docklands.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Alcohol consumption
- Strong river current
- Cold water temperature
- Poor visibility
- Deep water
- Risky behaviour while intoxicated
Coroner's recommendations
- Life Saving Victoria convene a meeting with the City of Melbourne and Victoria Police to identify targeted drowning prevention interventions to prevent or deter alcohol-affected persons from entering the Yarra River within the City of Melbourne, particularly around Crown Casino and the Docklands
- The Australian Water Safety Council consider whether the stretch of the Yarra River between the Punt Road Bridge and West Gate Bridge is an appropriate location to trial interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related unintentional drowning
Full text
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