A popular estate agent who simply “loved life” was found dead in a hot tub while on holiday last year, an inquest has heard.
Michael Wainright, aged 40, was a well-known and respected estate agent from Cornwall who worked as director of Saltash-based firm Wainwright Estate Agents.
An inquest held at Cornwall’s Coroners’ Court in Truro yesterday heard how he was found dead on 13 May 2023, while staying at a holiday lodge at Portreath.
At the time, his father Tony Wainwright, managing director at the estate agency, said the family was heartbroken.
He told the press in May last year: “We are devastated. Our family is in absolute bits and trying to come to terms with this terrible news.”
“Mike was loved by so many. He is going to leave a massive hole in many people’s hearts and lives. As a family we are broken with grief.”
Wainright grew up in Saltash where he remained throughout his life and was described during today’s hearing as a “popular man” who “liked to socialise”.
It also heard how he had began drinking aged 18 but struggled with alcoholism more recently following the breakdown of a relationship during which he reported being physically and emotionally abused.
At his most excessive periods, Wainrightt reportedly drank as much as one litre of vodka a day, although he had managed to cut this down to 70cl in attempts to tackle his addiction. At the time of his death, his parents had been arranging private health care for their son.
A postmortem carried out following the death revealed Wainright had died as a result from drowning and, for comparison purposes, was explained to have been four-times the legal drink-drive limit at the time of his death.
A statement given by Tony Wainwright said: “He grew up in a happy family environment with his older sister Emma living in Saltash. Mike and Emma were very close and he was a good lad who never caused any problems or issues.”
He added that his son “loved life” and “liked to socialise” and was a “regular drinker”; adding, a “functioning alcoholic”.
Emma Hillson, assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, recorded a conclusion of death by misadventure, stating: “It is more likely than not that Mike either fell asleep or became unconscious due to the level of alcohol in his system and drowned in the hot tub as a result.”
