Outdoor instructor perishes in capsize (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Outdoor instructor perishes in capsize

8:56am Friday 5th January 2007 in News By James Williamson

RESCUERS recovered the body of an outdoor pursuits instructor from the freezing waters of a South Lakeland river yesterday after he was swept away from his capsized canoe.

Police say a man and a woman from Shap had been with David Thorne when his two-seater Canadian canoe turned turtle in the fast-flowing waters of the River Lune on Wednesday (January 3) afternoon and he was washed downstream.

The body of the 49-year-old father-of-two from Talybont-on-Usk, near Brecon, in Wales, was discovered after a 20-hour search of the river from Killington to Kirkby Lonsdale at Treasonfield, near Barbon, at around 10.30am yesterday.

Police say that Mr Thorne was a highly experienced canoeist who knew the area well. He had been in the canoe with one of his companions from Shap when the tragedy happened at around 2.20pm on Wednesday.

The search for Mr Thorne involved more than 60 mountain rescue team volunteers from several organisations, fire crews, police divers and specialist dog handlers. RAF helicopters also scoured the muddy banks of the river.