A coroner has blamed excessive alcohol consumption as the main contributor to the deaths of two men who drowned months apart in a popular seaside area after a night of partying.
Dr Robert Xu, 32, who drowned on November 7, 2019, and Jarrod Davies, 27, who died on February 8, 2020, had been drinking in Hobart bars before falling off the boardwalk and fall into the water.
Almost a year after a joint inquest was held into the deaths of the two men, both of whom were visiting Tasmania, coroner Robert Webster found they drowned after excessive alcohol consumption made them “unable to take care of themselves,” reported the Mercury.
Mr Xu attended a trainee dinner at a now-closed Hobart restaurant, Glass House, where he drank six to seven wines on the night of November 6.
The Melbourne surgeon-in-training headed with others to Evolve Spirits Bar, where he downed at least five more whiskies.
Trainee surgeon Dr Robert Xu, 32, (pictured) drowned in 2019 after falling off a boardwalk in Hobart following a night of heavy drinking.
The coroner found diving instructor Jarrod Davies, 27, (pictured) was drunk and had been assaulted at a location before disappearing at the end of the Elizabeth Street pier in Hobart.
Then the young doctor went with a person to Mobius and had a gin and tonic.
The coroner found that when Dr. Xu arrived at that establishment, he was already in a considerable state of intoxication.
Webster said that before 1:30 a.m., the 32-year-old man and his partner became separated and he was then left alone.
In CCTV footage, the doctor was seen walking along seafront locations just minutes before he appeared to walk off the path and fall into the water.
“The fact that Dr. Xu went off the path over the ledge and into Victoria Dock is indicative of a loss of judgment, visual impairment and/or a reduction in his powers of perception and consciousness caused by excessive alcohol consumption “Mr. Webster said of Dr. Xu.
The coroner found that Dr. Xu’s blood alcohol reading was probably close to 0.228 at the time he fell into the water.
In the other tragic drowning, the coroner found that Davies, who was a diving instructor and was in Tasmania with his father to complete a marine course, had consumed 21 drinks over almost 12 hours.
The men had been walking along the Hobart promenade before falling into the water and drowning (pictured in Hobart).
Observatory Bar owner Ian Vaughn’s lawyer objected that the serving of alcohol at the venue was linked to Mr Davies’ death.
The coroner disagreed.
“Mr Davies’ intoxication contributed to him walking, stumbling or slipping at the end of the pier and the level of intoxication was such that it left him unable to get out of the water,” he said.
“After all, he was a very experienced open water diving instructor and an excellent swimmer.”
Mr Davies was with his father at various locations in Hobart and is believed to have had 10 schooners for nine and a half hours until 10pm.
The diving instructor then headed to the Telegraph Hotel, where he is believed to have consumed seven Red Bull vodkas.
The men had been drinking (three months apart) in the popular seaside area of Hobart (pictured), before tragedy struck. The coroner has not recommended the installation of fencing as it is a functioning port.
In the hours before his death at 11.44pm, Davies had gone to the Observatory bar with two other men and bought 14 drinks, consuming at least six.
While at the scene, he suffered a “forceful” attack in which he received a headbutt and a punch to the jaw, knocking him to the ground.
After the incident, two crowd controllers removed the 27-year-old from the bar.
Mr Davies was then seen walking alone along the seafront from 12.59am.
The coroner had considered whether Davies’ assault had contributed to his death and found it was likely the 27-year-old had suffered a concussion.
“This occurred on a person who was already extremely intoxicated,” he said.
But Webster found there was no evidence that staff had witnessed the assault on Davies.
The coroner said the 27-year-old was “not cared for”.
“Crowd controllers did not offer any bottles of water upon Mr Davies’ exit,” he said.
In his findings, coroner Robert Webster recommended that Evolve Spirits Bar (pictured) review its procedures so that a customer who buys several drinks does not consume them all, and staff ensure drinks are shared.
The venue was also found to have failed to follow procedure, which also contributed to Mr Davies’ death.
“They would not have been admitted to the location or they would have been expelled from the location,” he said.
“Clearly, they were admitted and there is no evidence of expulsion.”
Mr Webster made recommendations including that venues with out-of-hours permits should implement real-time CCTV monitoring and Evolve Spirits Bar reviews its procedures so that a customer who buys several drinks does not consume them all, and staff ensure that drinks are shared.
The coroner did not recommend fencing be put up in the coastal area as a security measure as it would be impractical as it is a working port.
Tasports has since added 15 lifebuoys with lighting installed to be on between dusk and dawn.
Twelve lighting-equipped safety ladders were added, bringing the total to 42 in the area.
