A MAN who drowned after falling into a marina had been celebrating his 24th birthday with friends, an inquest has heard.

Joshua Willingale was last seen in Hartlepool, in the early hours of September 15, when he was said to have been in good spirits.

He was reported missing after failing to return home, and last Saturday a body was pulled from Hartlepool Marina.

An inquest on Thursday was told that Mr Willingale, a labourer and popular amateur footballer, left his home in Rossall Street, Hartlepool, and went to a house party in Garside Drive, Hartlepool, with several friends.

After having drinks and socialising there, the friends went on to The Royal pub, in Church Street, where they played pool.

Detective Inspector Alan Todd, who led the investigation into Mr Willingale’s disappearance, told the inquest: “He had been bought drinks by his friends but he appeared to be fine, a little unsteady on his feet, but fine.

“He left the pub at around 12.40am holding his hands up as if to say ‘I’ve had enough’.

“He put his pool cue away, walked out of the pub and turned left into Church Street.”

The next time he was spotted after that was at 1.42am on CCTV cameras at The Premier Inn, at the marina, Coroner Malcolm Donnelly was told at the inquest in Hartlepool. Det Insp Todd said he speculated that Joshua had possibly wandered over to the marina to find a father and son from London, who he and his friends had been talking to earlier in the evening, and who were staying at the Premier Inn.

The inquest, attended by Mr Willingale’s mother, Debra Willingale, heard that police could find no evidence of any suspicious circumstances and no suggestion that he wanted to do himself any harm.

Det Insp Todd said: “I am of the opinion that it was a tragic set of circumstances which has led to the death of this young man.

“He has been under the influence of alcohol, made his way to the area and he’s either fallen into the marina by leaning over the side barrier as it would have only come up to his thigh with him being 6ft 3in tall, or he’s simply sat down at a chained area and fallen in. I don’t think we will ever know the reason why.”

Mr Donnelly said a postmortem examination concluded that Joshua’s death was a result of an accident, and the cause was drowning.