12.52pm

Mr Battle slowly edges down the ladder looking around as he does so. He motions to Gary Bird as if to meet him on the other side and Mr Bird walks off carrying his belongings

12.53pm

Mr Battle dives into the river and begins swimming across to the other side. He is about a minute into the crossing when he seems to slow down and eventually starts to tread water

1.07pm

Paramedics and police officers carry Mr Battle on to Queen's Staith. He is taken to York District Hospital by ambulance but is pronounced dead on arrival

Fuelled by Dutch courage, a man dives into the Ouse in York after putting a £40 wager on himself to swim the river.

Moments after this dramatic picture was captured by a CCTV video camera, 29-year-old Gerald Battle was swept away by the strong current.

He then drowned despite brave attempts by police and a traffic warden to rescue him from the river.

Now a coroner has warned partygoers of the devastating consequences of drink-fuelled misadventure as the massive celebrations for Christmas and the Millennium approach.

After he recorded a misadventure verdict on Mr Battle, York coroner Donald Coverdale said: "As we approach the festive season perhaps it is appropriate for me to pass further remarks about the dangers of excessive drinking, because I believe that drink was the root cause of this tragedy.

"Mr Battle had drunk the equivalent of six pints of beer and that, no doubt, gave him a great deal of Dutch courage.

"When in drink people will take risks they wouldn't dream of taking when sober and expose themselves to appalling dangers."

Relatives of Mr Battle, keen themselves to warn of the dangers, gave permission for the Evening Press to reproduce this and other video images inside today's paper. The inquest yesterday heard how unemployed Mr Battle and his friend, Gary Bird, who were both staying at the Peasholme homeless centre, York, had downed beer and spirits at the King's Arms pub, next to the Ouse on King's Staith, after cashing Mr Battle's giro.

After Mr Bird jumped in the river for a £20 bet, Mr Battle put a £40 wager on himself to swim the river.

The pair had earlier been spotted on CCTV cameras and warned by both police and the pub's landlord not to go into the river.

But the inquest heard how Mr Battle dived in and began to struggle halfway across as the strong current started to sweep him downstream.

The combined bravery and determination of a traffic warden and three police officers saw Mr Battle eventually pulled from the water.

Despite attempts to revive him by police and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at York District Hospital.

The coroner praised the swift actions of traffic warden Stuart McQuade, PCs Ian Sirrell and Liz Welburn, and the courage of Traffic Constable Del Houselander who plunged into the Ouse to pull out Mr Battle and Mr Bird. He had jumped in from the Queen's Staith side intending to help. Mr Coverdale pointed to l From Page One other drink-related deaths as further evidence of the dangers.

In December 1997, University of York student Joe Crane, 20, plunged 100ft to his death from a construction site crane in Skeldergate after a day out drinking.

And in July this year, 19-year-old waiter Yashin Miah fell to his death from a fourth-storey window above the Mogul Indian restaurant in Tanner Row after a heavy drinking session.

Mr Coverdale added that, over the years, he had also presided over several inquests on people who had attempted to swim the "cold, cold, fast-flowing Ouse".

Mr Coverdale said: "Come the New Year, I don't want to be presiding over inquests arising out of deaths following heavy drinking. Everyone likes a drink and everyone will have more than they are used to, but I ask people to take care of their own safety and look out for their friends and loved ones."

Mr Battle's brother, Tony, who spoke for the group of relatives who attended the inquest, said: "I am sorry the incident happened in the first place and I would like to thank everyone involved in the attempt to rescue my brother.

"It must have been an extremely difficult situation and I appreciate the traumas you all went through."

After the hearing he said Mr Battle, whose ex-wife, Julie Thomas, lives in Selby, had come to York to be nearer his four young children.

He said he was staying at the homeless centre while he looked for accommodation.

Swimmer's last moments caught on film

These dramatic pictures show the final moments of Gerald Battle's life as his attempt to swim across the River Ouse in York ended in tragedy.

The photographs are taken from tapes recorded on City of York Council's CCTV camera positioned on High Ousegate.

They are being printed here with the full permission of Mr Battle's family.

The first picture shows a police officer approaching Mr Battle and his friend, Gary Bird, on King's Staith.

Mr Battle is told to abort his attempt to swim the river.

But he ignored the warning and minutes after the police officer left the scene he again took off his trousers and dived in.

Hundreds of people watched the drama unfold from the banks of the river as they relaxed in the sunshine on a hot August day, but none could have predicted its tragic outcome.

Pete Carney, who works for Red Boat Hire, was near the bridge when he was approached by a traffic warden asking him to help rescue the man.

He told at the time how he had got into the boat and gone out to Mr Battle and two other men who were trying to help him.

He pulled Mr Battle, his friend, Gary Bird, and Traffic Constable Del Houselander, on to the boat before getting them to the riverbank.

Superintendent John Lacy, of York Police, said: "The photographs are released with the co-operation of the family as this is a stark reminder of the tragic consequences of swimming in an extremely cold river while under the influence of drink.

"The family would not wish this to happen to any other families over the Millennium period or in the future."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.