Tom Daley’s Olympic diving coach died from sudden adult death syndrome similar to that which nearly killed Danish footballer Christian Eriksen, an inquest heard. David Jenkins, 31, was found collapsed in a swimming pool in the Turkish resort city of Antalya on 9 October last year.
He had spent the day training the elite GB squad following their success at that summer’s Olympics before he died. Mr Jenkins, the Development Lead Coach for England’s top diving programme Dive London, played an “instrumental role” in the Tom Daley Diving Academy before his death.
An inquest at North London Coroners Court in Barnet heard his death was mysterious but now appeared to be sudden adult death syndrome. When his family asked why the circumstances of his death appeared to be a mystery, Assistant Coroner for North London Peter Straker explained how it can strike young, healthy people.
He said sufferers experience an arrythmia before the heart stops. He told them: “There have been some high-profile cases including famously, the footballer Christian Eriksen, whose heart stopped while he was on a football field.
“He had advanced life support available almost instantly. You can imagine what the result would have been if he was in a pool, if that is of any use.
“I don’t want you to be completely mystified as to why this had happened.”
The hearing was told he had been with two other coaches who left to go for a jog while Mr Jenkins swam before dinner. In evidence that was read out by the coroner, the then National Performance Director for British Diving Alexei Evangulov said he was about to sit down for dinner at 7.20pm when a member of hotel staff came up to him and said: “Please come with me, one of your team members is in the pool and he doesn’t go out.’
He added: “I jumped up and ran with him to the pool. s I was running I asked ‘what do you mean he doesn’t go out?”
“Staff said he did exercises in the water and then died underwater. When I got to the pool I saw him lying at the bottom of it where we usually train. He was lying face up and had his goggles on. I shouted ‘call an ambulance’ and grabbed him with my armpits, pulling him to the surface.
“He was very heavy and I was in the water with him. I noticed a swimming coach from Denmark running to help and managed to pull him from the pool.”
Mr Jenkins, who lived in Chingford in East London, was later taken to hospital where doctors gave him CPR. He fought for life and his heart came “in and out” for just under an hour but he was pronounced dead at around 9pm.
A post-mortem carried out in the UK by Dr Deidre McKenna found he had not been drinking or taking recreational drugs before he died, and suggested the cause of death was unascertained. His GP records did not flag up anything unusual.
The inquest was told he was a fan of exercises where he would hold his breath underwater in line with the Wim Hof Method. The method- named after a Dutch extreme athlete nicknamed ‘the Iceman’ for holding his breath underwater in freezing temperatures- is based on a Tibetan meditation practice called Tummo meditation.
It is said to relieve stress, reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system. The coroner recorded a conclusion of death by natural causes, of which the medical cause was found to be adult cardiac death.
He told the family: “I cannot tell you how sorry I am. He was a bright young man and this is a terrible, terrible loss.”
After he died a British Swimming spokesman said: “David's love for coaching and the sport saw him play an instrumental role in the Tom Daley Diving Academy, delivering Learn To Dive lessons to thousands of children across the country. He was extremely popular with all in the diving community due to his wonderful, friendly personality.
“A former gymnast and diver himself, David had a bright future ahead of him and will be greatly missed by everyone he worked with across British Diving.”
