Open verdict on mysterious death of fisherman

An inquest was held at Newbury Town Hall recently into the death of Stephen Stringer, aged 62 of Oaklands Way, Basingstoke.
The inquest heard how Mr Stringer, a keen fisherman who had suffered from multiple sclerosis for more than 30 years had been fishing on the River Kennet, off Wigmore Lane, Theale, on Friday, October 25 last year.
In a statement, fellow fisherman John Found, who spoke to Mr Stringer on the day, said that Mr Stringer had told him he had not been feeling well that day and that he noticed that Mr Stringer had been “moving awkwardly”.
Mr Found said: “I saw him several times; he was more chatty than normal.
“His chair was on a gradient on the river bank... and I noticed that he had dug the rear legs into the gravel.
“This makes me think he would have needed to use force to remove it.”
Mr Found last saw Mr Stringer at about 6.10pm after taking some photographs of him and his catch.
Dc Greg Hulse, from Newbury police, said in a statement that Mr Stringer had been off work for an extended period of time because of his illness but had been shortly due to return.
His wife, Barbara Stringer, said in a statement read out at the inquest that her husband had suffered a seizure in July and that since then he had lost his confidence, had issues with his sight and was unable to walk fast for periods of time.
Dc Hulse said that at 5.30pm on the day, he had called his daughter Helen Street, to tell her he had an “MS feeling”.
Ms Street told him to return home but he said that he would be fine as other people were there.
She then telephoned him between 9.30pm and 10pm ,but when she couldn’t reach him, she went to where he was fishing and found his car still there.
The police were then called at about 10.40pm after they found Mr Stringer’s mobile telephone next to his fishing tackle.
After several days of searching by police, the police helicopter and Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Mr Stringer’s body was found on November 1 in the River Kennet near Sulhamstead.
The deputy coroner for Berkshire, Anna Burnside, recorded an open verdict.