Pudsey father and son drowned 'treasure hunting' in Huddersfield canal
A father and son who drowned treasure hunting were found standing upright in a canal together, an inquest heard.
Martin Andrews, 43, and his son Jack, 19, died while magnet fishing in a Huddersfield canal on 16 June. They were found "vertically submerged" close to each other by police divers, Bradford Coroner's Court was told. Coroner Martin Fleming concluded they died as a result of misadventure and warned about the "inherent dangers" of the pastime. The inquest heard how Mr Andrews and his son, of Pudsey in Leeds, had headed out early to go magnet fishing. They used a strong magnet on a rope to "catch" pieces of metal in the canal, close to the River Calder in the Cooper Bridge area. The alarm was raised by passers-by after personal items were found on the bank. Post-mortem examinations showed both men drowned. Toxicology tests also confirmed both had recently used cannabis. Mr Fleming said taking cannabis may have had an impact on their balance, co-ordination and reaction times, but said it could not be determined when they last used the drug. He also warned about the dangers of "what is considered to be a harmless pastime". "They may well have got into some trouble while engaged with this rope and equipment. We can only speculate as to how they came to be in the water. "Plainly the fact the two of them were there may have been indicative one was trying to help the other." Angela Andrews, the wife and mother of the victims, told the hearing the whole family enjoyed the hobby "in the hope of finding a rare and valuable item one day". They had previously pulled out shopping trolleys and "lots of car keys", but neither had "ever gone in the water while hunting for treasure".