Hobart, Tasmania: Heavy drinking ‘main contributor’ to drowning deaths of Dr Robert Xu and Jarrod Davies just months apart at city’s popular waterfront area
A coroner has blamed excessive serving of alcohol as the main cause of the deaths of two men who drowned months apart in a popular waterfront area after a night out.
Dr. Robert Xu, 32, who drowned on November 7, 2019, and Jarrod Davies, 27, who died on February 8, 2020, had both been drinking at bars in Hobart before falling from the boardwalk into the water below.
Nearly a year after a joint inquiry was launched into the deaths of the two men – both who were visiting Tasmania – coroner Robert Webster found they drowned after heavy drinking left them ‘unable to care for themselves’, the reported Police. Mercury.
Mr Xu attended a trainee dinner at a now-closed Hobart restaurant, Glass House, where he drank six to seven wines on the night of November 6.
The trainee surgeon from Melbourne continued with several others to the Evolve Spirits Bar, where at least five more whiskeys were consumed.
Surgeon in training Dr. Robert Xu, 32, (pictured) drowned in 2019 after falling from a Hobart boardwalk following a night of heavy drinking
The coroner found that diving instructor Jarrod Davies, 27, (pictured) was drunk and assaulted at a location before disappearing from the end of the Elizabeth Street Pier in Hobart
The young doctor then went to Mobius with one person and drank one gin and tonic.
The coroner found that when Dr. Xu arrived at that establishment, he was already in a state of significant intoxication.
Mr Webster said the 32-year-old and his associate parted ways before 1.30am and he was alone at the time.
CCTV footage shows the doctor walking past waterfront locations just minutes before he appeared to walk off the footpath and fall into the water.
“The fact that Dr. Dr. Xu.
The coroner found that Dr.’s blood alcohol level. Xu was probably close to 0.228 when he fell into the water.
In the other tragic drowning, the coroner found that Mr Davies, who was a diving instructor and was in Tasmania with his father to complete a maritime course, had consumed 21 drinks in almost twelve hours.
The men walked along the waterfront in Hobart before falling into the water and drowning (photo Hobart)
Counsel for Observatory Bar owner Ian Vaughn objected that the serving of alcohol at the venue was linked to Mr Davies’ death.
The coroner disagreed.
“Mr Davies’ intoxication caused him to walk, trip or slip off the end of the pier and the level of intoxication was such that he was unable to remove himself from the water,” he said.
‘After all, he was a very experienced open-water diving instructor and a strong swimmer.’
Mr Davies was with his father at various locations in Hobart and it is believed he had ten schooners over the course of nine and a half hours until 10pm.
The diving instructor then went to the Telegraph Hotel, where he is believed to have consumed seven vodka Red Bulls.
The men had been drinking (three months apart) at Hobart’s popular waterfront (pictured) before disaster struck. The coroner did not recommend installing fences because it is a working port
In the hours before his death at 11.44pm, Mr Davies had gone to the Observatory Bar with two other men and bought 14 drinks, of which he consumed at least six.
While at the location he suffered a ‘powerful’ attack which saw him headbutted and punched in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.
After the incident, two crowd controllers removed the 27-year-old from the bar.
Mr Davies was then seen alone along the waterfront from 12.59pm.
The coroner had considered whether Davies’ attack had contributed to his death and concluded the 27-year-old was likely to have suffered a concussion.
“This happened to a person who was already extremely intoxicated,” he said.
But Mr Webster found there was no evidence staff had witnessed the attack on Mr Davies.
The coroner said the 27-year-old was not ‘cared for’.
“No bottle of water was then offered by the crowd controllers at Mr Davies’ exit,” he said.
In his findings, coroner Robert Webster recommended that Evolve Spirits Bar (pictured) review procedures so that a customer purchasing multiple drinks does not consume them all, and staff ensure drinks are shared.
The venue was also found not to have followed procedure, which also contributed to Mr Davies’ death.
“They would not have been allowed into the venue, or they would have been removed from the venue,” he said.
“It is clear that they have been admitted and there is no evidence of removal.”
Mr Webster made recommendations including that out-of-hours licensed venues should be required to implement real-time CCTV and that Evolve Spirits Bar should review its procedures so that a customer purchasing multiple drinks does not consume them all – with staff ensuring that the drinks are shared.
The coroner did not recommend installing fencing on the waterfront for safety reasons as this would not be practical as it is a working harbour.
Tasports has since added 15 lifebuoys with lights that must be on between sunset and sunrise.
Twelve safety ladders equipped with lights have been added, bringing the total to 42 in the area.