Tragedy of backpacker drowned in Indian river
8:43am Thursday 29th July 2010 in News
Tragedy of backpacker drowned in Indian river
AN adventurous backpacker drowned after jumping into a river in India, an inquest heard.
Daniel Goodman, aged 23, went swimming with three friends who he had met while travelling, but underestimated the strength of the current.
The charity worker was hoping to help young children, but was only two weeks into his travels when the accident happened in February.
Now his family have set up a charity in his name — The Goodman Project — to carry out the work that he did not get the chance to do.
His mother Shirley, of Linnets Wood Mews, Walkden, said: “Daniel wanted to see the world and work with children in India.
“He had a great sense of adventure and going travelling to India was something he had been talking about doing for a long time.
“There were so many places that he wanted to go to but he never got the chance.
“He was passionate about helping children and that is why we have decided to do it for him. So far we have raised more than £1,500.
“He was a typical young man who lived life to the full.”
The inquest was told that Mr Goodman travelled alone to India on February 8.
He decided to go swimming in a river near the Sanapur Village Lake with pals William Werkmeister, Peter Hoyle and Stephen Blunder, who he had met out there.
The inquest heard that the four jumped into the river from a bridge two metres above on February 23.
In a statement road to the court, Mr Werkmeister said: “We heard it was a good place to go swimming and we jumped from a bridge into the rapids.
“I saw Daniel was about 10 metres away from me and he went under the water and surfaced, and then went under again.
“Then I could not see him and we looked down the river but he did not come up.”
They managed to call the police for help and continued to search for him. He was later found two kilometres down the stream.
Deputy Coroner Alan Walsh recorded a verdict of accidental death.
He said: ”They decided to go swimming and I do not think they realised it was as dangerous as it proved to be.
“Stephen Blunder said it was not until they were in the water that they realised how vulnerable they were with the strength of the current and the depth of the water.”
Mr Goodman attended Harrop Fold School in Walkden.
He went on to do a plumbing course at Salford City College, before taking a job at Linton Brick.
The Manchester City fan became a charity worker for Friends of the Earth, but decided he wanted to see the world and go travelling.
Visit thegoodmanproject.org for details of the foundation set up in Mr Goodman’s memory.
