Partygoer dies in canoe tragedy at midnight
A MAN'S body was found in a muddy creek just hours after he took a canoe out for a midnight paddle.
Karl Maynard is believed to have been at a birthday party in Salterns Close, Hayling Island.
He took a friend's canoe from the back garden of the house, which backs onto the sheltered tidal creek of Mengham Rythe – as pictured on the front page – at about midnight on Saturday.
His body was found a few hours later after he was reported missing.
A friend had woken up at about 5am on Sunday to find Karl and the canoe had not returned.
The police alerted Solent Coastguard which sent out its rescue helicopter and two lifeboats to carry out a search.
At 7.12am the canoe was discovered empty and upside down floating at the entrance to the creek.
Karl's body was found in the mudflats close by just 12 minutes later by a man on a yacht.
Police last night revealed that Karl was 24 years old and had been living with his girlfriend in Purbrook.
They said he was unemployed but was preparing to start a new college course.
Detective Inspector Pete Miller, from Waterlooville CID, said: "It's obviously still very early stages at the moment. We are not treating the death as suspicious.
"There will be a post-mortem, probably on Tuesday or Wednesday, and the matter will be passed over to the coroner.
"There is no criminal event here and the police involvement is in support of the coroner."
Karl was not wearing a lifejacket when he entered the water.
Carol Carter, from Hayling RNLI, said: "The Coastguard helicopter was out and about and I believe woke up a guy in a yacht.
"He looked out of his window and saw the body in the mud.
"The lifeboat crew had to go up the creek but there was hardly any water.
"They couldn't get the boat in any further so they used a small boat nearby to bring the body ashore where he was pronounced dead by the RNLI paramedic."
Nigel Roper, Hayling Island lifeboat operations manager, added: "This was a tragic accident that could have been avoided if the young man had been wearing a lifejacket or a buoyancy aid, and had told someone that he was going out in the canoe.
"Our sympathies are with his family and friends."
Members of the nearby Wilson's Boatyard were shocked about the incident.
One man, who did not want to be named, said: "The guy they found had been one of the guests at a small birthday party in one of the houses next to the boatyard.
"He didn't actually live there, he was a guest at the party."
A Salterns Close resident, who did not want to be named, added: "It's tragic. I believe there was a party at the house next to the boatyard, but it wasn't particularly loud or anything. It's very sad."
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Weather for Hayling
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -4 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
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