Parkinson’s concerns led to East Preston man’s suicide

Retired firefighter Peter Hooker, 70, walked into the freezing cold River Arun at Littlehampton and “just floated away, looking quite peaceful”, witnesses told police.

Mr Hooker, a resident of Green Willow Rest Home, in Vicarage Lane, East Preston, drowned in the fast-flowing waters of the river in December, an inquest heard on Friday (February 22), three months after a previous suicide attempt.

Coroner’s officer Jane Ritchie told the inquest Mr Hooker had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease – a condition which had claimed the life of his brother in 2009.

“This was something that had laid heavily on Mr Hooker’s mind,” she said.

Mrs Ritchie told the hearing that his mobility had been affected by his condition and that he had taken a severe fall, in November, 2011, one which she said he had “never recovered from”.

She read out transcripts from a number of 999 calls received by emergency services on the day of Mr Hooker’s death, which described how he “dipped his feet and ankles into the river”, at the Nelson Steps, in Pier Road.

She said: “The day was described as cold – freezing cold. The water was surging and the air temperature measured minus 3 degrees Celsius.”

“Witnesses saw Peter walk into the water, lie back with his hands outstretched and float away. He didn’t struggle or kick. He just floated away, looking quiet peaceful.”

The inquest heard how emergency services scrambled to begin a search, with the Littlehampton’s lifeboat station being alerted to the incident within 60 seconds of the initial call.

Mr Hooker was discovered 600m south of the harbour’s entrance by lifeboat crews, who performed emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques, before he was taken to shore and transported to the Royal County Hospital, in Brighton, where he later died.

Pathologist Andrew Rainey believed Mr Hooker was clinically dead when the RNLI crews pulled him from the water, saying nothing could have been done to save him without “considerable neurological deficit” being inflicted due to the lack of oxygen to his brain.

Coroner Veronica Hamilton-Deeley recorded a verdict of suicide, giving her condolences to Mr Hooker’s family.

* Lee Arnitt, media and communications officer for Parkinson’s UK, said the comment that Parkinson’s claimed the life of Mr Hooker’s brother was “factually incorrect”.

He addedL “Parkinson’s doesn’t directly cause people to die, but symptoms do get worse over time.

“As the UK’s Parkinson’s support and research charity, Parkinson’s UK is leading the work to find a cure, and is closer than ever.

“Parkinson’s UK brings people with Parkinson’s, their carers and families together via a network of local groups, a website and a free confidential helpline to ensure no one has to face Parkinson’s alone. Call 0808 800 0303 or visit: www.parkinsons.org.uk”