A DAD was killed after hitting his head and falling into a river during a yoga ritual in India, an inquest heard.
Iain Francis, 68, from Devon is believed to have been unconscious from the blow by the time he slipped into the water.
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He was said to have gone to India in October 2018 to enjoy this retirement in a warmer climate with regular visits back to the UK.
At the time of the incident in 2019, the manager of the hotel where Mr Francis was staying on his yoga retreat told police in India that every day he would do yoga and body exercises at a riverbank near the hotel.
He recalled that he had gone to the river and saw Mr Francis floating in the water wearing shorts with his belongings on the bank of the river.
The police investigation confirmed Mr Francis had accidentally fallen down into the river and had hit his head on a rock on his way into the water.
His daughter Angela said: “He was a strong swimmer, although he did not attempt to go in the water much or for long periods in later years.”
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The conclusion was he had died by accidental drowning and there was no third party involvement.
A post mortem examination conducted in India confirmed the cause of Mr Francis’s death was drowning.
It was noted that there were lacerations to his scalp and a deep injury on the left side of the top of his head.
The inquest at Exeter’s County Hall yesterday heard the family had endured a long wait for more information from the Foreign Commonwealth Office and Indian police authorities due to the coronavirus pandemic, only now confirming the details surrounding his death three years later.
Following the inquest, his daughters paid tribute to Mr Francis and said: “Our dad was wonderfully caring, funny, sensitive and generous.
“He had a spirit, heart and presence like no one else and he will always be dearly missed.”
Mr Francis had previously been a plumber for many years but also had an extensive career working in microfinance as a financial consultant in foreign agricultural programmes.
He worked in 13 countries including Nigeria, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
After retiring he travelled to India on his own and had been staying in the district of Koppal in Karnataka.
The location of his death was Hanumanahalli Thungabhandra River Gangavathi.
