Coroner's Finding: Donohue, Andrew John

49y · Male·saltwater drowning

A 49-year-old man died from saltwater drowning after entering the water on a kayak without a personal flotation device (PFD) or emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). He had methylamphetamine in his system at the time. While a strong swimmer, he did not return from his kayak within an hour of departure. The coroner concluded that wearing a PFD would likely have prevented death, and that the presence of methylamphetamine in his system would not have improved survival prospects. There are no clinical or medical management failures identified, as this was an accidental drowning in recreational circumstances.