A WOMAN died after “slipping” into a fast flowing river in North Wales while drinking, an inquest heard.
Lucy Charles, 39, was last seen walking past a pub in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham, at 5.34pm on December 22 last year.
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Lucy Charles died after slipping into a fast flowing river in North Wales while drinking, an inquest heardCredit: North Wales Police
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She was last seen on CCTV walking past the Royal Oak pub wearing a yellow hi-vis tabard over her coatCredit: North Wales Police
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A huge search was launched after her belongings – including bottles of alcohol – were discovered on the bank of the River Dee.
Her body was discovered in the river on January 12.
At an inquest on Thursday, the court heard how Lucy had recently lost her job at a pub.
On the day she went missing, she had been dropped off at the GP surgery in Bangor-on-Dee by her partner, Ian Beech, to collect a prescription for back pain medication.
She was later seen buying vodka from the village shop.
The inquest heard how a local shop assistant said the 39-year-old had told her she was “fed up”.
She was last seen on CCTV walking past the Royal Oak pub wearing a yellow hi-vis tabard over her coat.
Her disappearance triggered a frantic search operation involving specialist police detectives, divers and dogs.
It turned out Lucy had crossed the Bangor Bridge and her handbag, an empty white wine bottle and partly drunk bottle of vodka were discovered on Christmas Day.
DC Danielle Craig of North Wales Police said it was thought Lucy had gone to a footpath “Riverside Walk”.
She may have been struggling with alcohol issues, the police officer added.
The inquest in Ruthin, North Wales, heard how the weather had been “very poor” with heavy and prolonged rain which caused the ground to be slippy.
Senior coroner Mr John Gittins told the court: “The most likely scenario is one where, having sat by the side of the river having a drink, she slipped into the water and sadly lost her life.
“The level of alcohol in her system may well have been a factor in causing her to fall or slip in the river.”
Due to the height and force of the water, police divers couldn’t go safely under the surface when their search began.
A helicopter, drone and dogs were also involved before an underwater search team, in a boat, spotted Lucy’s body in a remote part of the Dee.
She was found three miles from where she was thought to have gone into the water.
A post-mortem examination discovered alcohol levels of 308 mg per litre of blood, more than three-and-a-half times the legal drink-drive limit.
Pathologist Dr Huyam Abdalsalam said there were no injuries likely to have caused the woman’s death.
Codeine was also discovered “at therapeutic levels”, but Dr Abdalsalam said mixing the drug with alcohol could have had an “enhanced sedative effect”.
Mr Gittins said Lucy died of immersion in water and acute alcohol intoxication and ruled out suicide.
Recording a conclusion of misadventure, he offered his “sincere condolences” to Lucy’s family who had lost a loved one but also had the “added agony” of her being missing for three weeks.
On social media, Lucy was described as “the most welcoming of people at The Sandstone Inn, that big smile and laughter after every other sentence”.
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At an inquest on Thursday, the court heard how Lucy had recently lost her job at a pubCredit: North Wales Police
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