In August of 2020, Simon was on holiday with friends in Cornwall, when he drowned in a tragic accident.  He was paddleboarding in the Camel Estuary, near Rock, when he jumped off his board and his ankle leash became tangled with a swing mooring.  The current forced him one way and his board the other, and he was dragged underneath a boat.  Despite the best efforts of many local people to save him, he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

The inquest into Simon’s death recorded a verdict of accidental death, and the case highlighted the issue of safety in paddleboarding generally. Simon was wearing an ankle leash which meant that, against the weight of the current, he was unable to reach the release clip and free himself.  Had he been wearing a quick-release leash attached to his waist, he would probably be alive today.

Simon’s best friend, Sam Foyle, who attended St Edward’s School with Simon, has since been campaigning tirelessly to raise awareness of the importance of choosing the right type of leash for the conditions, to prevent more needless deaths.

He has been working with the sport’s governing body, British Canoeing, to update their standard guidance, and lobbying some of the main manufacturers to sell all their paddleboards with a quick-release waist leash and/or both types of leash, with clear instructions on how and when to use each type.