THE devastated family of a man who drowned in the River Ouse have backed The Press’s campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of York’s rivers.

Lee Calam, 35, of Queen Victoria Street, in South Bank, had been drinking before accidentally falling into the river in March.

His body was found by police divers near Skeldergate Bridge on March 16, almost a week after his disappearance had been reported.

Speaking after the inquest into his death, Mr Calam’s brothers, Mick and Paul Calam, and sister Belinda Martin, said they wanted to support the Think, Don’t Swim campaign – launched in response to three river-related deaths in York this year.

Mrs Martin said: “Myself and my family’s lives changed forever the day we got the call to say a body had been found after an extensive search for Lee.

“Nobody can prepare you for something like that – it happens to other people, not yourself.

“Like so many others that have been lost to the river, Lee also had been drinking, which impairs judgement.

“I also think that publicans, who carry on serving people who have clearly had enough to drink, should take some responsibility for their customers.

“Lee was a very likeable character, everyone knew him, he is very sadly missed by everyone that knew him.”

York Coroner’s Court heard how Mr Calam, a plasterer who was successfully recovering from heroin addiction, was last seen on CCTV on the morning of March 8, when he attended Boots in Coney Street to pick up a methadone prescription.

At around 8pm, the court heard police were alerted to reports of a man matching Mr Calam’s description who appeared to be drunk in Hampden Street in Bishophill. His mobile phone was found in the street by police and his wallet, still containing bank cards, was later found close to the nearby Cock and Bottle pub.

He was reported missing after the wallet was returned to his housemate.

Detective Inspector Adam Harland, who said there was nothing to suggest anyone else had been involved in Mr Calam’s death, said he believed Mr Calam had been on his way home to South Bank before his death. A footprint matching Mr Calam’s was later found on a bank near to the Bonding Warehouse.

Dr Ian Holbrook found that Mr Calam had 227mg of alcohol in his blood per 100 ml, the equivalent to 14 tots of whiskey or seven pints of beer. The cause of death was drowning, contributed to by alcohol consumption, Coroner Donald Coverdale said.

Mr Coverdale said it was possible Mr Calam had gone by the side of the river to “relieve himself” or had “slipped and fallen in”.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Mr Coverdale, said: “He would have been disorientated to say the least and being affected by alcohol he would have been ill-equipped to save himself and get to the bank.

“I think this has been an accident. He has taken a tumble into the river, been unable to save himself and has drowned in the River Ouse in York.”

The other men to have died in the Ouse this year are Paul Alan Rogerson, 26, of Arthur Street, who drowned after falling from Ouse Bridge in March and Richard Horrocks, 21, from the Haxby Road area, who drowned after jumping into the Ouse from the balcony of a riverside bar where he worked in July. Their families have both lent their support to the campaign.