The death of a 23-year-old man, who was found in a park lake on Boxing Day, has been described as a "tragic accident" during his inquest.
Owen James Caveney, a civil servant from Walton, was found dead in a lake in Walton Hall Park on December 26, 2021. The 23-year-old was first discovered by dog walkers just before 9am, before he was recovered from the lake and CPR was attempted, but he had already died.
An inquest into his death took place at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool on Thursday (March 24).
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Senior coroner André Rebello found that Mr Caveney's death was accidental. He said the cause of death was immersion in cold water with mixed drug toxicity and severe coronary artery atherosclerosis.
Referring to conclusions made by senior forensic pathologist Dr Megan Jenkins in a post-mortem, the coroner found Mr Caveney suffered from extensive coronary artery disease, which he would not have known much about. A heart exam following his death revealed severe focal atheroma (an abnormal fatty deposit) in one coronary artery, which resulted in an approximate 80% blockage, making it harder for oxygenated blood to pass through.
Mr Rebello stated that it was uncommon for someone of Mr Caveney's age and weight to suffer from such a heart condition, which normally builds up over a longer period of time. Though Mr Caveney had no significant past medical history, the coroner suggested he may have suffered from familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic cholesterol problem.
Mr Caveney’s toxicology report also stated he had been under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs - namely ketamine, cannabis and DMT, though DMT could have been in his body naturally. Mr Rebello stated that a combination of the effect of the drugs in the 23-year-old's system, his heart issues and immersion in water - which would have been very cold - led to his death.
His death did not show signs of drowning, however. Instead, the coroner believes that Mr Caveney was led into the water by the effect of the hallucinogenic drugs, which could have caused dizziness, confusion or made his heart race.
The coroner believes Mr Caveney's heart, affected by coronary artery disease, stopped once he entered the water. As such, Mr Rebello stated that he would have suffered a rapid death.
Mr Rebello said: “He wasn’t alive in the water long enough for there to be typical signs of drowning” and continued: “I’m of the view that Owen has come into that water, either believing it to be something else or believing himself to be somewhere else.” The coroner added: “Because of the substances – certainly the ketamine – it’s more than likely he’s done this unknowingly. This is tragic accident, as a result of existing heart problems, mixed drug toxicity and immersion in water"
Bringing the inquest to a close, Mr Rebello told Mr Caveney's family: "He’s still with you because that love will always be in your hearts.” He added: "Owen’s life is not measured in years, it’s measured in love."
Several bunches of flowers and messages were left tied to the railings next to the lake at Walton Hall Park after Mr Caveney's body was recovered in January. One read: "Love you brother, take care."
Friends on social media also paid tribute to Mr Caveney after his death. One wrote: “Such terribly sad news - Owen was such a lovely young man. RIP.”
Another message added: “My heart goes out to his mum and the boys, he was such a lovely lad, will be sadly missed. Our boys grew up together, RIP Owen - gone but not forgotten.”
