A 36-year-old man drowned while trying to board a ship bound for Canada from the United Kingdom. Walid Gamal Yasen Gomaa died on April 28 at Empress Dock, located at the Queen Elizabeth 2 Terminal in Southampton, according to the Hampshire coroner's office.

An inquest into his death was held recently, as English law mandates an investigation for unnatural deaths to determine the circumstances surrounding them. Gomaa, an Egyptian national, had been living in the U.K. illegally since 2021 after being denied asylum upon his arrival. He had not been in contact with friends or family until shortly before his death.

Gomaa had expressed to a friend his intention to travel to Canada. On the day of the incident, he was seen by crew members preparing to board the MV Tannhauser, a vehicle-carrying ship. The ship's second officer was in the process of raising the ramp at the rear of the vessel when Gomaa ran toward it, grabbing hold of the finger flaps at the end of the ramp. The officer halted the ramp's ascent due to concerns that Gomaa could fall and injure himself.

Despite landing on the jetty, Gomaa attempted to run toward the ramp again. Crew members shouted for him to stop, but he was unable to secure a grip and fell into the water between the jetty and the ship. Acting senior coroner Jason Pegg reported that the officer looked down and saw Gomaa floating face down in the water.

Rescue teams recovered Gomaa's body. A post-mortem examination revealed that he drowned after sustaining a head injury from the fall. Pegg noted that Gomaa likely struck his head against the vessel, lost consciousness, and subsequently drowned.

At the time of his death, Gomaa was carrying a backpack containing a Quran, £600 in cash, and a train ticket from London to Southampton. A friend reported that their last communication occurred six days before the incident, during which Gomaa mentioned his plans to travel to Canada. When asked how he would get there, he simply replied, "Don't worry about it."

The inquest revealed that crew members believed it was clear Gomaa intended to travel to Canada on the ship. Pegg also stated that Gomaa's family in Egypt had been informed of his death but had not attended the hearing. He extended his condolences to Gomaa's family and friends.