On July 19, 2022, a sailor at Deborah Bay found 68-year-old Murray James Double floating in the water near his yacht Greeka.
Emergency services were called to the scene who determined he was dead.
His death led to an inquiry and a chambers finding by Coroner Andrew Schirnack.
A pathologist who performed the post mortem on Mr Double reported fluid found in his lungs and stomach indicated he had drowned, which the coroner accepted.
They also noted that a significant blood alcohol level could have made Mr Double unstable and more likely to fall.
A blood sample taken from Mr Double during the post-mortem showed alcohol was detected in the blood at the level of 230mg per 100ml — over four times the legal limit of 50mg per 100ml.
Mr Double’s wife said her husband had not eaten breakfast that morning and not taken his medication.
At 12.31pm, she received a text message from her husband indicating he was at Deborah Bay, where he kept his boat.
The text said the boat was "still floating".
At 1.09pm, his wife received a second text that said "my phone is going stupid but all good here at the moment".
That was his last contact with his wife.
About 5.15pm, a sailor who knew Mr Double noticed the gate to the pontoon at Deborah Bay was left open.
When he walked through, he noticed Mr Double face up in the water next to his boat.
He immediately called emergency services.
The sailor noted there was a broom left on the jetty, and the light drizzle of rain had made the jetty and Mr Double’s fibreglass boat quite slippery.
Mr Double was found fully clothed with his wallet, phone, and car keys all in his pockets.
When police arrived, they found it difficult to board Mr Double’s boat as it was narrow with wet and slippery railings and they could not recover any data from his waterlogged phone.
The coroner said he was "satisfied, by a comfortable margin, that Mr Double accidentally fell in the water beside his boat".
"However, beyond being satisfied that Mr Double accidentally fell in the water, I cannot reach any reliable conclusions.
"It may be that he fell while cleaning with the broom due to slippery conditions, or alcohol intoxication affected his stability while manoeuvring around the jetty and boat, or his vision compromised his physical judgement in doing so leading to a fall."
He also noted Mr Double’s failure to eat breakfast or take his morning medication could have made him unsteady, or it might have been a combination of all of these factors.
"In any case, this accidental fall had a tragic outcome for Mr Double and those he leaves behind."
