Bristol Rovers supporter’s last call to wife before being tragically found dead in river, inquest hears

A Bristol Rovers fan called his wife to let her know he was on his way home from the pub but never returned and was found dead in the River Avon a few days later, an inquest heard.

Kevin Crewe was last seen enjoying an evening out at The Little Grosvenor pub in Bedminster on September 13 last year, an inquest at Avon Coroner’s Court heard this morning (Thursday, April 7).

His concerned family called the police who filed a missing person’s report after the 62-year-old called his wife around 9.30pm letting her know he was on his way back, but never came home.

Sadly, Mr Crewe’s body was pulled from the water at Totterdown Basin on Feeder Road on September 15.

The court heard that a post-mortem report found high levels of alcohol in Mr Crewe’s system, more than twice over the legal driving limit.

The report read that although it was ‘impossible’ to determine how Mr Crewe came to be in the river, these alcohol levels could be associated with ‘serious toxicity’ and were likely to have caused him to experience lack of co-ordination and slower response times.

The medical cause of death was given as 1a) immersion in water.

Mr Crewe’s family, who had been out looking for him themselves before they got the tragic news, said they had been left ‘absolutely devastated’ by his death.

In tribute to to the father and grandfather from Barton Hill, Bristol Rovers supporters clapped and cheered 62 minutes into the match against Leyton Orient on September 18 last year.

Debbie Rookes, assistant coroner for the Avon area, concluded that Mr Crewe had died due to an ‘accident’.

She added: “I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to Kevin’s family and friends.”