A second inquest has been opened into the death of Leo Blockley, a member of Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club who drowned in the Spanish River Ebro during a training session in 2000. The inquest was applied for by John Pollard, the same coroner who recorded a verdict of “accidental death” following the initial inquest.
The decision was announced by Lord Justice Maurice Key on 2 March this year.
Consent from all parties was gained after new ‘credible evidence’ concerning safety issues was discovered. Blockley was a graduate in Mathematics from Cambridge, and had been studying for a masters in Applied Statistics at Lincoln College, Oxford.
Blockley, 21 from Ashton-under- Lyne in Manchester, disappeared after his boat capsized during a training session on the River Ebro at Amposta near Barcelona on 29 December 2000. He had been rowing in a group of two coxed eights when both boats were flooded after being hit by sudden gusts of wind of 50mph. The 17 other squad members were rescued from the water.
Following Blockley’s death, his parents founded the Leo Blockley Memorial Campaign, which campaigns for safer rowing boats with the ability to withstand swamping or sinking. Stephen and Jane Blockley have paid particular attention to the buoyancy of boats used by rowers, putting pressure on rowing authorities to set higher standards.
Following the announcement of the second inquest Jane Blockley said to the Daily Telegraph, “We are relieved,” and Stephen Blockley added, “We want the truth to be told and we would like lessons to be learned.” In a joint statement the couple stated on the Memorial Campaign website, “This process has taken over a year to reach this far, and this has been a particularly difficult time for us. We do not relish the idea of going through another inquest, and no doubt neither does anyone else involved. However, as Leo’s family, we must bear witness for him, and ensure he receives the justice he is entitled to. We also firmly believe that the sport of rowing will benefit from the coroner’s examination of the many safety issues involved.”ARCHIVE: 0th week TT 2005
Inquest reopened into rower’s death
