16 December 2023 , 22:47
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A British student has drowned in a Florida swimming pool in mystery death.
Florida authorities are no closer to uncovering the mystery of a British university student who accidentally drowned in a swimming pool as the county coroner determined the incident as "inexplicable."
Jack Chisholm, 21, was found unconscious at a friend's home in Bokeelia, Florida, where he had been staying for a month while working at a tortoise sanctuary during his breaks from school. The man, who was described as a "very happy chap" with impressive swimming skills, was a student at Newcastle University and lived with his family in Burford, Oxfordshire. The biology student had no signs of trauma and no history of mental health issues or long-term health problems.
The Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter discovered that an investigation by detectives in the US determined Jack had drowned without involvement from any third party.
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An autopsy report said Jack's body had suffered a haemorrhage (HNP Newsdesk/Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)Mr Salter said: "There was uncertainty as to how and why Jack entered the water. It is to an extent inexplicable how he ended up in the water and how he could not get himself out."
Jack's corpse was flown home for a memorial service following the tragedy, which happened during the summer. Darren read a narrative conclusion to Jack's family, given the strange nature of the 21-year-old's death. "Jack Chisholm was a student at Newcastle University and was visiting Florida for few weeks at a tortoise sanctuary," Darren said. "On the afternoon of June 9 he was alone at the swimming pool and had a siesta and swim after lunch."
He added: "Jack was last seen at approximately 1:30pm but was discovered at 6pm submerged in the pool. It is not known how he entered the water or what caused the difficulty as he was a good swimmer - but there was no third-party involvement." An autopsy of Jack's body revealed a haemorrhage to the left trapezius muscle and some abrasion on his left eye. Officials deemed these minor injuries.
The local sheriff's department asserted the incident was a drowning in the manner of an accident. The Oxford inquest heard Jack's body was found in the pool by Stephanie Derby who yelled to her sister Brooke Derby for help as she performed CPR in an attempt to revive him.
Jack's parents, Martin and Tania Chisholm, spoke fondly of their son in a written statement that was read by Darren. It read: "Jack was going to go out to Florida for month for a nice experience. He was a very happy chap with a young and happy life. We believe in our hearts that it is a tragic accident."