Humber pilot died after drowning, inquest hears

A Humber pilot died from the effects of immersion in water and heart disease after he fell off a ladder as he tried to board a ship, an inquest has heard.

Francesco Galia, 67, had been trying to board the cargo vessel Finnhawk in the Humber estuary when he fell into the water on 8 January 2023.

An inquest in Hull on Monday heard there was no evidence the 67-year-old had suffered a heart attack before falling at about 13:00 GMT.

Coroner Jessica Swift told a jury of eight women and three men that the Italian national, who was employed by Associated British Ports (ABP), was rescued by the RNLI about 40 minutes later and was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Humber pilots board ships and help their captains navigate the tides and shifting sands of the estuary to and from ports in Hull, Immingham, Grimsby and Goole.

On the opening day of the inquest at Hull Coroner's Court, the jury heard Francesco, who lived in Hull and had worked for ABP since 2002, had a history of heart problems including high blood pressure and heart disease, and was on medication. He previously suffered a heart attack which resulted in damage to his heart muscle.

In a statement read out by the coroner, Francesco's nephew described him as a "unique charming gentlemen who would help anyone".

"He was by far the most intelligent man I'd ever met. He also had a wonderful sense of humour," said Cary Galia.

The inquest was told the pilot was on board the Humber Saturn vessel when he went out to assist the Finnhawk, along with a trainee pilot, a coxswain and two other crew members.

The jury heard Francesco was seen to vomit and appeared to lose consciousness when he fell into the water.

Home Office pathologist Dr Kirsten Hope said it was possible he may have experienced a sudden cardiac event which caused him to lose his grip of the ladder and fall. But there was no evidence he had suffered a heart attack before his death.

She said, following a post-mortem examination, she found his lungs were full of fluid and air indicating he was alive when he went into the water.

"There are signs to indicate drowning has occurred," she said, before adding the medical cause of death as being "the effects of immersion in water combined with heart disease".

The inquest, which is expected to last five days, continues.

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