Coronial
VICcommunity

Finding into death of NJC

Deceased

NJC

Demographics

17y, male

Coroner

Coroner Audrey Jamieson

Date of death

2021-12-05

Finding date

2026-03-18

Cause of death

drowning

AI-generated summary

NJC, aged 17, drowned in Lake Nagambie while subject to a Care by Secretary Order. He was in stable kinship care with his sister and receiving appropriate support from Child Protection and Anglicare. At a family wedding weekend, he consumed alcohol and cannabis, then attempted to swim across the lake. Expert evidence established that the combination of alcohol and cannabis impaired his judgment, motor coordination, balance and cognitive function, giving him false confidence while reducing his ability to swim effectively and respond to rescue attempts. The coroner found appropriate supervision proximate to death, commended rescue efforts, and concluded the death was misadventure. Key clinical lesson: alcohol and cannabis together significantly impair aquatic safety awareness and physical capability in young people.

AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.

Specialties

forensic medicineaddiction medicinepaediatricsemergency medicine

Drugs involved

alcoholcannabiscannabis

Clinical conditions

drowningalcohol intoxicationcannabis intoxicationpolysubstance intoxication

Contributing factors

  • alcohol consumption impairing judgment and decision-making
  • cannabis consumption impairing perception and motor coordination
  • combination of alcohol and cannabis causing false sense of confidence
  • impaired ability to assess risk of swimming across lake
  • impaired motor coordination and balance affecting swimming ability
  • panic response when in difficulty in water
  • resistance to rescue attempts
Full text

Source and disclaimer

This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.

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