A former England rugby player was nearly three times over the drink-drive limit when he drowned trying to cross a swollen ford in his 4×4 pickup during a storm, an inquest has heard.
Tom Voyce died while trying to cross Northumberland’s River Aln in a Toyota Hilux in December.
It came as Storm Darragh passed through the United Kingdom.
The 43-year-old’s body was found days later after a major search, in deep water.
An inquest at County Hall in Morpeth heard that Mr Voyce had attended a shoot at his brother-in-law’s farm on 7 December 2024, then spent the evening with him and two other men in the Queen’s Head pub in Glanton.
Hugh Wood, the brother of Mr Voyce’s widow Anna, told the hearing that he last saw his brother-in-law at about 11.45pm in the bar.
There had been a shoot with about 16 guests but it was hampered by the weather and people helped themselves to a bottle of port during the day, Mr Wood said.
The event ended at 5.30pm when everyone was extremely wet.
Mr Wood said that the group drank alcohol in the pub but he observed no ill-effects in Mr Voyce that evening.
The storm left local roads water-logged, the inquest heard. Some parts were flooded and winds were still gusting at 30mph that night.
Mr Wood estimated the distance to the Voyces’ home in Alnwick was about eight miles.
Mrs Voyce raised the alarm the next day when her husband had failed to come home.
“It dawned on us to look in the fords and that’s where we came across his vehicle,” Mr Wood said.
Pathologist Dr Clive Bloxham told the hearing that the cause of death was immersion in water.
He said there were no signs of external or internal damage and that Mr Voyce was “a well-built, muscular man”.
Toxicology tests showed no sign of drugs “but he did have a high blood alcohol level”, Dr Bloxham said.
A reading of 215 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood was detected. The drink drive limit is 80 milligrams.
“This is over two-and-a-half, nearly three times that limit,” Dr Bloxham said.
“Despite the possibility of tolerance to drinking alcohol, this level would be expected to have impaired his co-ordination and judgment.
“You would expect him to have a significant degree of intoxication with this level and impaired decision-making prior to his death.”
Lisa Chisholm, publican at the Queen’s Head, said Mr Voyce had a bar tab, which he settled before leaving. She estimated he had drunk about four bottles of Magners cider, and bought drinks for other people.
She said Mr Voyce, who was not a regular, was “good conversation” and stood at the end of the bar in good spirits.
Detective Constable Victoria Henderson, who led the police inquiry, said accident investigators found part of the Hilux’s number plate had broken off at the water’s edge, indicating the vehicle had approached Abberwick ford at speed.
The Toyota was found in reverse gear which led to the belief that Mr Voyce may have tried to go back the way he came when the vehicle stalled in the water.
It was subsequently damaged by repeatedly hitting a footbridge near the ford, before water levels dropped, allowing it under the bridge.
She said it was unclear if Mr Voyce had tried to get out of the vehicle himself or if he had been swept away by the force of the water.
She said that a ford warning road sign would have been visible but the depth pole showing the height of the flood was submerged on the other side of the crossing.
Mrs Voyce asked about the possibility of barriers being put in the ford to stop vehicles being washed away, as happened at other local crossings, and the detective said she would pass the suggestion on.
Coroner Andrew Hetherington will give his conclusion later on Monday.
After his death, Mrs Voyce said in a statement: “Absolutely devastated and heartbroken doesn’t even describe how we feel.”
The couple, who had a son, Oscar, moved to Northumberland where Mr Voyce set up a business, having previously worked in banking after he retired from rugby.
Former teammates expressed their shock and sadness when he went missing, including messages from World Cup winners Matt Dawson and Lawrence Dallaglio.
Mr Voyce started his senior playing career at Bath, then spent six years with Wasps where he helped them win European and domestic titles, before leaving to join Gloucester in 2009.
He won nine caps for England and made 220 Premiership appearances before retiring in May 2013.
