Dad drowned in lake Malawi (From Swindon Advertiser)

Dad drowned in lake Malawi

11:40am Tuesday 24th February 2009 in News By Ben Perrin

A SWINDON man drowned while swimming in a lake in south east Africa, an inquest heard.

Dad-of-three Keith Harries, 54, of Ashford Road, in Old Town, died after getting into difficulties in strong currents in Lake Malawi, near the Kande Beach Resort, at about 4pm on August 1, 2007.

The hydrogeologist for Wroughton-based infrastructure development firm Halcrow was on a three-week tour with his wife Maureen, the deputy head teacher at St Joseph’s Catholic College, at the time of his death.

His eldest daughter, Laura, has paid tribute to a wonderful father.

She said: “He was very outgoing and had time for everyone. He was the best dad you could hope for and he continues to be an inspiration for us all.

“Dad had a great sense of humour and was a great person to be around. He was also a life-long Arsenal supporter and a music lover.”

He leaves behind his widow Maureen and children Laura, 26, Gerard, 24 and Rosanna, 21.

The inquest into his death in Swindon heard that the couple had sunbathed for a brief time during the fourth day of their trip.

Mr Harries went swimming while his wife read a book.

“We had walked up and down the beach trying to get our bearings,” said Mrs Harries, who gave evidence at the hearing.

“Then we sat down and he went for a swim. He always did this when we went on holidays. I would say he was a good swimmer. He was very active and a fit man. There were about 20 people swimming in the lake and pedaloes were nearby.

“I watched him go into the water but I didn’t look back up for another eight or nine minutes. I saw him being pushed by the waves on top of the water as if he was riding them.

“He looked uneasy. I waved at him and he didn’t respond.

“I started to panic and I started to shout. Two people behind him, a man and a woman, pulled him to the shore. He was unconscious. A South African man worked on Keith and tried to resuscitate him.”

Laura said: “I understand that though the water may appear calm on top there are strong currents underneath.

“We believe that he was pulled under suddenly leaving it too late for people to save him.

“Conditions of the lake vary, but we believe that if he had been warned he may have been more cautious.”

Mr Harries was taken to the Chintheche Rural Hospital and given CPR for a further hour before he was officially pronounced dead.

Histopathologist Charles Dzamalala undertook the post-mortem examination in Malawi. He found Mr Harries had died of asphyxia following drowning.

Wiltshire Coroner David Masters, who recorded a verdict of accidental death, said: “There is no evidence of trauma and he was not suffering from any natural disease at the time of his death. It was a terrible accident.”

No danger signs on beach

NO signs warning of a dangerous lake were positioned on the beach where Keith Harries lost his life.

The Harries family have told the Advertiser they found out that an 18-year-old female tourist lost her life in the same spot a year before the much-loved husband and father died.

And they have since met a woman who nearly drowned while swimming there.

The travel company Exodus, which Mr and Mrs Harries used to organise their Africa trip, have responded to this safety concern.

Exodus operations manager Mike James said: “We take our responsibility for our clients’ health and safety very seriously and always work closely with our local partners to prevent any re-occurrence when an injury or death has occurred.

“Since the death of Mr Harries, all our leaders now brief clients on the dangers of swimming in the lake when they arrive at the Kande Beach Resort.

“Leader warnings is the number one method of accident prevention on any of our holidays. At most times of year, swimming in Lake Malawi is an activity that holds very few risks.

“However, there are times, especially in the windy season, when waves and an strong currents create more dangerous conditions.

“When this is the case, our leaders will change their briefings to include strong recommendations not to swim at all.”