Inquest: Salisbury chef found dead in River Avon after police search

An inquest into the death of Edward Brinley Wyles was held at Wiltshire and Swindon Coroner’s Court on Thursday, October 10 and ruled his cause of death as ‘immersion in water’.

He was found on March 18, 2023, after the 33-year-old had been missing for more than a month. 

He was last seen by his mum on January 25 at a bus stop on Boscombe Road in Amesbury. 

In a statement from his mum, read by senior coroner David Ridley, Mr Wyles was described to have grown up as a ‘bright, intelligent and inquisitive young boy’, who was ‘always destined for great things’.

READ MORE: What happens at an inquest and what can the press report?

The statement continued: ‘He was very academic, he had a real understanding of numbers and enjoyed science a great deal, but he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do career wise.’

After school, Mr Wyles went to Kingston University to study Physics but decided to leave due to financial troubles. He moved to Bristol, where he worked in various jobs including volunteering providing meals for people who were homeless.

He then moved back to Salisbury and moved into Alabaré Place – supported living for the homeless, before getting a job as a chef at Zizzi.

The court heard: “He was starting to get himself together – Alabaré helped him to get his flat. He had a stable job that he enjoyed and in a field of his own, it was looking positive at that stage.”

Mr Wyles was described as 'bright' and 'intelligent' by his mum (Image: Newsquest) Then his flat tenancy was not renewed and he found himself back at Alabaré. He decided to leave before moving to Brighton. However his mum received a call saying that he wasn’t doing well, and she tried to support him by getting him a Travelodge and giving him food. She helped him to get accommodation with a private tenant, and he then got a job as a chef at the Harvester.

The court heard that he ‘really enjoyed’ his new job, but it didn't work out.

Just days before he went missing, Mr Wyles stayed at his mum’s house. On the morning of January 25, he walked to the bus stop and at 6.20am he got on the bus to Salisbury – the last time anyone saw him.

A missing person’s appeal was shared by the police on February 15 and after extensive searches including police dogs and drones, he was found in the River Avon on March 18 at approximately 10am. A toxicology report found that he had alcohol in his system. 

The coroner concluded: “Edward died as a result of immersion in water although it is unclear when where and how he entered the water. It is more likely than not that Edward died within 48 hours of him being last seen alive.”