A FATHER found dead in a boat while rowing across the Atlantic died from injuries after being “hit by a wave”, an inquest heard.
Michael Holt, 54, set off on his doomed 3,000 mile charity row to Barbados on January 27.
WNSBrit dad Michael Holt was found dead in his boat[/caption]
WNSHe fell ill and lost contact with his family before a search vessel sadly found his body[/caption]
The Welshman set off from Gran Canaria on January 27 and headed for the Caribbean to raise money for charity – a journey that Michael believed could take anywhere “between 50 to 110 days”.
He was posting regular updates throughout the journey – during which he faced strong winds, the loss of an oar and even a shark attack.
But some 700 miles into the epic adventure, tragedy struck the British rower.
His family lost contact with him on February 23 and two days later the father-of-one was sadly found dead in his cabin.
An inquest has now told that Michael suffered multiple injuries after his vessel was hit by a wave.
At the inquest into Michael’s death at Gerard Majella Courthouse in Liverpool earlier this week, senior coroner Andre Rebello said the cause of death was “polytrauma due to accidental injury”, Wirral Globe reports.
Michael is understood to have suffered a polytrauma – multiple injuries in a single event – when a wave hit his boat and nearly knocked it over.
Mr Rebello added: “This was a tragic accidental death. Mr Holt’s heroic efforts have resulted in a fatality which makes it very difficult.”
The mammoth row had taken two years of gruelling training – plenty of which the experienced rower had filmed.
He was expecting to row for over 16 hours a day on his mini ship, named Mynadd, and live off just four hours of sleep.
An update from his family on February 15 said that his boat was attacked by a terrifying 10ft shark – believed to be a fearsome oceanic white-tip.
He felt the shark biting the rudder, but he “took it all in his stride…and carried on rowing.”
Brave Michael also had three killer whales swimming around his boat at one point of the journey.
Just days before the tragedy he lost an oar and cut his hand when he was “nearly knocked overboard” by a powerful wave.
He then told his relatives that he was suffering from seasickness which he put down to a bad reaction to “taking some antibiotics“.
As a result, he decided to postpone his journey to Barbados and begin rowing 300 miles south to Cape Verde.
An update read: “Michael is upset, and doesn’t want to let people down, but also understands that his life is far more valuable than this crossing, and he needs to get to land.”
But concerns grew when no one could make contact and spotter planes and a fishing vessel were sent out to locate him.
His grieving brother David broke the news of his death on Facebook last month.
The statement read: “Last night the fishing vessel Noruego accepted a tasking from Cape Verde Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and made directly for Michael’s coordinates.
“Very sadly, upon arrival, Michael was found dead inside his cabin.
“Of course this was not the ultimate conclusion we were looking for, but I am somewhat comforted knowing he died doing something he absolutely wanted to do with a passion and managed to row in excess of 700 miles in the process. An achievement in itself.
“This is a huge shock to myself, his wife Lynne and daughter Scarlett and my parents, not to mention wider family and friends.
“Many thanks for the kind words and wishes that you have already sent us during the past few days. They mean a great deal to all the family.”
Mr Holt, originally from Porthmadog, North Wales, had been living in the Wirral and was raising money for Mind and Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services.
He already fundraised £2,500 for Mind and another £3,500 for Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services (LCVS).
The experienced rower said he chose the charity Mind because of a friend who committed suicide last year.
“Mind Cymru was a charity that I never expected to raise money for. However, such is my desire to do something on behalf of my fantastic friend that it is my absolute pleasure to raise funds on behalf of this amazing charity,” he wrote on his Just Giving page.
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