Former England rugby player Tom Voyce was found to have almost three times the legal alcohol limit in his blood when his vehicle was swept away in a ford during Storm Darragh, as revealed in an inquest today.
The inquest, held in Morpeth, Northumberland, heard that pathologist Dr. Clive Bloxham conducted a post mortem examination on the 43-year-old former international player after he was reported missing on December 8 last year.
Before the incident, Voyce had been out shooting with his brother-in-law Hugh Wood and then visited a pub in Glanton, Northumberland. He left the pub around 11:45 pm, and his wife reported him missing the next day. The pathology report indicated that Voyce had an alcohol level of 215 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 80 milligrams per 100 milliliters.
Dr. Bloxham stated that while there were no drugs found in Voyce’s system, his high blood alcohol content would likely have impaired his coordination and judgment, affecting his decision-making abilities before his death.
The cause of Voyce’s death was determined to be immersion in water, with additional injuries on his hands and feet consistent with drowning after being in the water for several days. His body was recovered by a Northumbria Police diving team around 700 meters from where his submerged vehicle was found in the River Aln, Northumberland.
Voyce’s brother-in-law mentioned that the heavy rainfall had delayed their shooting party, and Voyce was last seen leaving the pub late at night. It was noted that the nearby roads were waterlogged due to the rain, and Voyce likely had an eight-mile journey home.
Following Voyce’s tragic death, his widow expressed deep sorrow and stated her focus was on their son Oscar. Voyce had a successful rugby career, playing for Bath, Wasps, and Gloucester, earning nine caps for England and retiring in 2013 after 220 Premiership appearances.
The ongoing inquest is expected to conclude later today.