Tributes to Kidderminster kayaker who drowned in river
Tributes have been paid to a kayaker from the Midlands who drowned in a river after becoming trapped in debris.
Matthew Baird-Parker, originally from Kidderminster, was pulled from Arkle Beck at Reeth, North Yorkshire, on Sunday by firefighters but died in hospital.
The 36-year-old, from Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, was trapped in debris. Mr Baird-Parker's father, Stephen, of Kidderminster, said his son had been "full of life" and had a passion for his chosen sport.
He also praised the emergency services who tried to save Matthew. He said: "Matthew was a very active and committed person and anything he did he did to his full extent. Kayaking has been wonderful for him. If there was a way you could wish to die, then he would have wanted to die doing this. He was exceptionally good at it, and it is all he wanted to do."
North Yorkshire Police had been notified of a man in the water at Reeth at 1pm on Sunday. Officers were assisted by the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and an RAF air support unit in their search. Mr Baird-Parker was pulled from the water at 2:30pm and was taken by air ambulance to James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, where he was pronounced dead.
His father praised the search and rescue teams for their efforts, adding: "They all worked exceedingly hard to save him, and I can only praise them. Perhaps he shouldn't have gone out yesterday but I can't really say that.
"He never went out alone and the other two boys he was with also tried really hard to save him. He wasn't totally crazy with risk."
A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance said: "This afternoon we attended an incident on the River Arkle, near Reeth. A canoeist, a man in his 30s, was trapped in the river. After a search, the man was located and pulled from the water.
"We took a doctor and paramedic to the scene who worked on the patient at the scene and throughout the flight to James Cook University Hospital. This was a large-scale rescue effort involving police, fire, RAF and Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team.
"Sadly, despite everyone's best efforts, the man was later pronounced dead. Our thoughts are with his family and friends."
North Yorkshire Police said an inquest was expected to be opened tomorrow.
