South West man drowned in pond while tending to 'pride and joy' lawn

A South West man drowned in a pond while tending to his lawn, an inquest heard. Michael Gallagher died at his Holcombe Rogus home where he lived with wife Susan.

The 76-year-old was found by his wife at the property near the Somerset border on March 22, 2024. Mr Gallagher was a retired civil engineer and formerly a director of a number of plant hire, haulage, and property management companies. The medical cause of his death was drowning.

Toxicology tests confirmed the presence of alcohol, a level which was described as being associated with 'mild drunkenness' in the average drinker. In a statement, Susan confirmed that they had enjoyed a pub lunch with some wine before returning home.

She added it was not abnormal for him to drink in the pub with lunch and said he had not been drunk. She told how she found him face down in the pond and had contacted family members to help pull him out. He was unable to be revived.

The location of the lawnmower at the scene showed some of the grass had been cut within the area. Police concluded Mr Gallagher may have been trying to clear grass from a blocked wheel of the mower.

There was described as being very little land between it and the pond and that he may have slipped into the water while trying to do it. An inquest was held into his death on November 12, at Exeter Coroner's Court, as DevonLive reports.

Mr Gallagher's son-in-law told in a statement how he had fallen into the pond before when using the lawnmower because he would get too close to the edge and would topple over it. He added the lawn was his 'pride and joy' and a gardener would come and do the rest of it.

Although Mr Gallagher had suffered from some heart problems in the past, he was said to have had no ongoing cardio concerns. His medical history also included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), prostate cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, assistant coroner Nicholas Lane said: "It seems to me this was clearly a tragic accident of a 76-year-old man tending to his lawn who has fallen into the pond."

Regarding the alcohol level in his system, he concluded it 'may well have been' a contributory factor but added there was no suggestion it made him less likely to be able to be use the mower properly or keep himself safe in the garden.

Mr Lane said: "However, it [the alcohol] may well have played some part in him getting too close [to the edge of the pond] or slipping, or maybe when he hit the water and went in, it may have slightly impaired his ability to get out of the pond.

"However, he was was 76-years-old and it would have come as a shock to fall into the water."