An inquest has heard how experienced sailor, Arthur Taylor "succumbed to the effects of wind and water" after his boat capsized off Ceredigion in Wales
27 July 2017
The death of sailor Arthur Taylor has been ruled as misadventure by a coroner.
The 90-year-old died in April after taking his boat out to sea from Gwbert boat club, Ceredigion in Cardigan Bay, Wales.
The boat was found on Easter Sunday.
Arthur Taylor’s body was found two weeks later on the tiny island of Ynys Lochtyn, located between the town of New Quay, Ceredigion and the village of Llangrannog.
An extensive air and sea search was carried out after Arthur Taylor went missing.
It involved the Coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon, Cardigan, Gwbert and Moylegrove Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats from Cardigan and Fishguard, along with Dfyd Powys Police and the National Police Air Service (NPAS).
It was called off on 16 April, although shore line searches were still carried out, and walkers using the coastal path in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire were asked to remain alert for the 90-year-old.
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The inquest heard yesterday (26 July) that Arthur Taylor lived in Lancashire but had a caravan in Cardigan, and had visited before Easter to go sailing.
Wales Online reports that gusty weather prevented him from going out on the water, but he had decided to go out on 15 April at 10.15am.
The inquest was told that a nearby resident noticed a capsized dinghy in the water and that the sailor was trying to right it with no success.
Coroner Peter Brunton said he felt Arthur Taylor’s boat had capsized, and although he was wearing a lifejacket, the 90-year-old was not properly dressed for dealing with the effects of the cold water.
Arthur Taylor’s body was found on the tiny island of Ynys Lochtyn. Credit: Richard Thomas/Wikimedia Commons
“For a man coming up to 91, on the balance of probability he would have succumbed to the effects of wind and water at 10.30am on Saturday, April 15,” said Brunton
“A gentleman of that age in casual clothes could not have survived better than half an hour,” he added.
Bruton said he believed Arthur Taylor had drowned.
He extended his sympathy to the family and ruled death by misadventure
19 April 2017
Welsh police are appealing for photographs or video footage taken along the coast around Gwbert, Cardigan, as they continue their search for missing sailor Arthur Taylor.
The 90-year-old, who is from Lancashire, was last seen leaving his accommodation at around 9.30am on 15 April 2017.
He was planning on taking his boat out to sea from Gwbert boat club, Ceredigion.
The boat was found on Easter Sunday, but Arthur Taylor is “still unaccounted for”.
Arthur Taylor’s boat has been found but there is still no sign of the missing sailor. Credit: Dyfed-Powys Police
Arthur Taylor, who was commonly known as Archie, is described as 5’ 4” tall and of slim build.
He has grey hair and was last seen wearing a navy jumper and dark grey waterproof jacket.
After he was reported missing, Milford Haven Coastguard coordinated an extensive air and sea search on Saturday evening.
The Coastguard rescue helicopter from Caernarfon, Cardigan, Gwbert and Moylegrove Coastguard Rescue Teams and RNLI lifeboats from Cardigan and Fishguard were all involved in the search along with Dfyd Powys Police and the National Police Air Service (NPAS).
The air search was called off on 16 April, with coastguard rescue teams making a shore line search during the evening following low water at 6pm.
The police are now asking for any video or photos taken by members of the public on Saturday morning as they may have captured Arthur Taylor sailing.
They are also asking walkers on the coastal path in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire to keep an eye out for signs of the missing sailor.
Anyone with photographs or video footage of a small single person dinghy in the sea is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police by emailing Centre@dyfed-powys.pnn.police.uk or calling 101, quoting incident reference 251 of 15/04.