British expat died in jet ski tragedy on Ghana lake

British expat died in jet ski tragedy on Ghana lake: Father-of-three, 49, ‘fell and hit head as he raced over water while family watched form riverbank’

• A Briton drowned in a Ghanaian river after falling from a jet-ski, an inquest heard
• He was jetskiing on the Volta River in Alorkpem when he dissipated from view
• Gwyn is originally from Wales but had lived in Ghana for more than nine years 

A British expat drowned in a river in Ghana after falling from a jet-ski, an inquest heard today.

Iwan Gwyn, 49, a married quantity surveyor of Pontllyfni, died on December 30 while relaxing with friends and family in Africa where he had lived, coroner Sarah Riley said.

Gwyn was jet-skiing out on the Volta River in Alorkpem shortly before 6pm when his family noticed they could no longer see him.

His body was recovered some hours later by fishermen, who called emergency services which took Gwyn to the nearest hospital, where he was declared dead.

Iwan Gwyn, 49, a married quantity surveyor, of Pontllyfni, died on December 30 while relaxing with friends and family in Ghana where he had lived

An autopsy gave ‘asphyxiation or drowning and blunt head injury’ as the cause of death.

‘It appeared Iwan had an unwitnessed fall from the jetski,’ the coroner said at Caernarfon. ‘He’d probably hit his head after it happened.’

Gwyn, 49, is originally from Llanaelhaearn — a village in Wales — but had lived in Ghana for more than nine years.

‘The direct cause of death was drowning. Iwan had been enjoying time with friends and family when he went out on his jetski,’ said Riley, according to the Daily Post.

He died on December 30, with the inquest taking almost a year to establish the cause of death. 

‘Sometime later they noticed they could no longer see Iwan, and he was discovered some hours later unresponsive by local fishermen.

Gwyn, 49, is originally from Llanaelhaearn — a village in Wales — but had lived in Ghana for more than nine years with his wife

He suffered an unwitnessed fall from the jet ski and hit his head during or after the fall.

‘His death was both unexpected and unintended. I have concluded that Mr Gwyn’s death was accidental.’

His brother Dafydd said: ‘The family would like to thank everyone who has been in touch to express their sympathies during this very sad time.’

‘Fydd colled enfawr ar ei ol’, he said, Welsh for: ‘He will be greatly missed’.

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