A coroner today criticised "a conspiracy" at an Oxford University rowing club that withheld information following the death of a student rower.
John Pollard, the South Manchester coroner, said that senior members of the Oxford University Lightweight Rowing Club (OULRC) had failed to tell investigators the full story after a training trip on which Leo Blockley, 21, drowned.
He also criticised the head coach at the rowing club who, the inquest heard, had been "drunk" on the morning of the tragedy.
Mr Blockley, from Ashton-under-Lyne, was swept away by strong currents on the River Ebro near Barcelona in December 2000 after his boat was swamped by large waves.
The first inquest into the postgraduate maths student’s death blamed freak weather conditions and recorded a verdict of accidental death.
But the High Court was asked to quash that verdict after Mr Blockley’s parents uncovered new information about what happened and reported it to the coroner.
Recording a narrative verdict, Mr Pollard said members of the club regarded preserving its reputation as more important than uncovering the truth.
"This is a matter of great regret that they regarded the reputation of the rowing club as of greater importance than the death of a young man who had drowned in a club activity."
He said that the university investigator Richard Hartley was "kept in the dark".
The coroner said: "Mr Hartley did not carry out a full and searching investigation into the background to this death. He was kept in the dark."
Mr Pollard said the OULRC had not wanted the university to find out that its head coach, Leila Hudson, had been "suffering the effects of alcohol" at the time of the death.
He said: "There was what might be called a conspiracy or also more accurately an agreement by a number of senior officers if the OULRC that they would not make known that the head coach had been suffering the effects of alcohol at the time of the death."
Two eight-man crews and two training boats set out in calm weather on the morning of December 29. Soon after the weather changed dramatically, and one of the training boats got into trouble.
As the other attempted to assist the stricken craft, Mr Blockley’s boat, the David Hardy, attempted to return to the jetty.
As the crew attempted to cross the river, only 50 metres from where they had set out, they were hit by two large waves in winds estimated at 100mph.
The rest of the crew swam to safety or were rescued but Mr Blockley was dragged under by the strong currents. His body was found five weeks later, some eight miles downstream.
Speaking outside the inquest at Stockport Coroners Court, Mr Blockley’s parents described their campaign for the truth about their son’s death.
After what she described as an "exhausting" four-day hearing, Dr Jane Blockley, Leo’s mother, attacked the Amateur Rowing Association and Oxford University for blaming Leo in the aftermath of the accident.
She said: "After Leo’s death the ARA and some at Oxford sought to blame Leo, accusing him of wilfully breaking what they described as a first principle: the ’stay with the boat’ rule.
"We are pleased that this inquest has completely removed this slur upon Leo’s name."
Her voice broke as she described how she and her husband Stephen had tried to carry on with their lives. She said: "Since the discovery of the new evidence, the last two years have been particularly awful."
Mr Blockley, 53, said the university had not offered the appropriate guidance to the rowers who had witnessed Leo’s death. "They looked to Oxford University for moral guidance. That guidance was sadly lacking," he said.
The inquest heard that the rowing club did not have a safety officer at the time of the expedition.
Miss Hudson admitted she was not aware she was responsible for the safety of her crews and could not remember reading the ARA’s safety code.
But she rejected allegations made by the then club president, Rev Jeremy Fagan, that she was "drunk" on the morning Mr Blockley drowned.
Mr Fagan told the hearing: "She was still under the influence of alcohol, ie drunk, and she never denied that to me.
"In my opinion she was not able to coach effectively that day, her abilities were certainly impaired."
The court heard a group of coaches, including Miss Hudson, were drinking in a nearby bar until late the night before Mr Blockley died.
She said she had drunk water and two vodka and lemonades but could not remember what time she had returned to her hotel.
Dr Jonathan Price, an Oxford University tutor who was also coaching on the trip, said he heard her return at 3am, banging on doors and shouting the name of an ex-boyfriend.
At a meeting on January 5, Dr Price and other members of the club decided that Miss Hudson should resign. But in a signed statement to Mr Hartley, Miss Hudson maintained she was still head coach.
Mr Pollard was particularly critical of Miss Hudson. He said: "She signed her witness statement claiming she was head coach, which was patently untrue."
The fact that she had been drinking the night before probably had not affected the outcome of the event.
A spokesperson for Oxford University said: "We fully appreciate that this is a difficult time for the family and friends of Leo Blockley and our thoughts are with them and all those involved in the tragedy.
"We hope that today’s narrative verdict of accidental death will bring to an end any outstanding doubts or concerns of the family or others involved in the tragedy that the causes may not have been fully explored or understood.
"Oxford University takes the safety and welfare of all those who participate in sporting activities extremely seriously.
"The University’s policies are kept under regular review. Since 2000 a number of steps have been taken to ensure that sports clubs in the University comply with safety standards set by the Sports Federation.
"All University clubs must adhere to the published safety codes of conduct of their clubs and review these on an annual basis."
