Dad found dead in woods in Carbis Bay after Christmas party

A man who wandered off into treacherous terrain near a hotel in the middle of the night, may have been alive for 12 hours before dying from exposure and his injuries, an inquest heard. Ian Grant was a well loved dad, partner and much respected colleague who attended a work Christmas party at the Carbis Bay Hotel in December last year.

Like many of his colleagues, the 39-year-old had booked a hotel room in St Ives and a group of them took the train to Carbis Bay to attend their work do on Friday, December 16, 2023.

Not a big drinker, Ian, who was from the Falmouth area, had a few drinks during the evening and enjoyed a bit of dancing. The inquest heard how Ian had been badly affected by the death of four of his friends to suicide, and he confided in a friend and colleague on the night.

The hearing, held in Truro today (Tuesday, November 26), was told how Ian may have felt low about his friends' deaths but certainly was not suicidal and instead was very much looking forward to the future and spending time with his daughter, who was due back from university.

The inquest heard that as time was called on the Christmas party, Ian's colleagues all returned by taxi to their hotel in St Ives unconcerned that Ian was not around, as they thought he must have gone on ahead.

Back at the hotel they found the dad-of-two's room closed so moved onto another room for a few more drinks. However, in the morning when Ian still had not checked out, concerns were raised about his welfare and whereabouts. When staff opened his room, and it was discovered empty, his friends started searching for him in the Carbis Bay area.

As night started to fall and Ian could not be located, police were called out. DC Rebekah Shorten, from Devon and Cornwall Police CID, based in Camborne, told the hearing that Ian's case was categorised as a high-risk missing person, and officers and a dog handler were deployed to the area.

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Police dog Ace soon tracked some of Ian's belongings to an unoccupied cottage along a dog-walking pathway in the woods off a steep and windy road above the Carbis Bay Hotel estate. Soon after Ace located Ian's body near an abandoned covered swimming pool. Despite efforts to revive him by police officers and paramedics, he was declared deceased at the scene on December 16.

DC Shorten told the inquest that Ian was spotted on CCTV leaving the party shortly after 11 p.m., walking up a steep hill, and coming back into view of the hotel's CCTV before disappearing from view again.

A postmortem examination revealed that Ian suffered fractures to his ribs and pelvis compatible with injuries from a fall from height as well as hypothermia. However, DC Shorten told the inquest that it had not been possible to ascertain how Ian had ended up where he was found and where he had fallen from during his final moments.

She told the inquest: "Perhaps he had become disorientated. It would have been pitch black. He may have tried to climb and may not have been able to get out of that alleyway. From our evidence, Ian could still have been alive for 12 hours prior to losing consciousness."

DC Shorten said there was no suggestion Ian had taken his own life, or had been struck by a car on the windy road leading to the alleyway or that anyone else had been involved in his death.

Assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Emma Hillson said it had been impossible to determine why Ian had wandered into the woods in the first place.

"Police have been unable to determine where he fell and how he sustained his injuries," Ms Hillson said as she reached an open conclusion. "This was treacherous terrain with no lights. Alcohol may have had an influence.

"It is more likely than not that Ian fell in the dark on unfamiliar terrain and became exposed to the cold. It has not been possible to determine how he sustained his injuries but it is possible that he tried to climb out of the alleyway. Unfortunately, the evidence does not tell us how Ian died."

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