Head teacher's drowning was accidental - inquest

The death of a head teacher who drowned while on a skiing trip with his friends was accidental, an inquest has concluded.

Simon Gibbs, 41, from Great Dunmow, died in Morillon, France, on 11 February after falling from a bridge into a stream, senior coroner Lincoln Brookes said during a hearing at Essex Coroner's Court.

The night before, Mr Gibbs, who was the head of New Rickstones Academy in Witham, had watched a rugby match and drank "quite a bit" of alcohol with two friends.

His cause of death was recorded as immersion in water caused by alcohol intoxication.

Mr Brookes said Mr Gibbs had last been seen by his friends just after 21:00 CET on 10 February after visiting several bars.

His friends visited a pizzeria shortly after, but Mr Gibbs never arrived. His body was found by a walker at 08:45 CET the next day.

French police established the trio had all drunk "a lot" of beer and cocktails, Mr Brookes said.

"For reasons that are unclear, [Mr Gibbs] separated from his friends.

"It seems more likely than not based on what the French police say that at some point he has, while intoxicated, fallen from a bridge down to the river below, and in the process may have sustained some superficial injuries.

"Mr Gibbs certainly didn't intend to end the evening in this way. He didn't intend to enter the water, he did so accidentally."

Mr Brookes extended his "deepest condolences" to Mr Gibbs's family.

A letter sent by New Rickstones Academy after the tragedy described Mr Gibbs as a "much-loved colleague and brilliant head teacher".

In July, the school renamed one of its buildings in his memory.

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