The brother of a 49-year-old electrician from Buckinghamshire who drowned during a coasteering activity day has said, following his inquest, that a “series of oversights and mistakes snowballed out of control”.

Iain Farrell, from Dorney, died while taking part in the activity, which involves climbing and swimming around a rocky part of a coast, at Hedbury Quarry, near Swanage in Dorset.

The father-of-two was pulled unconscious from the sea and the rest of the group had to be recovered from the water by the Coastguard and RNLI during the incident.

Mr Farrell had taken his two sons, Sean, 15, and Oliver, 13, to take part in the activity run by Land & Wave on May 26 2019.

The inquest heard that Mr Farrell had struggled to keep up with the group and guide Charles Ridley had brought him ashore only for him to be swept back into the sea by a large wave causing him to lose consciousness and drown.

A jury returned a narrative verdict stating that Mr Farrell died of misadventure by inhaling seawater in “a challenging sea state during a led coasteering experience”.

Dorset coroner Brendan Allen said he would prepare a Preventing Future Deaths (PFD) report giving recommendations for improvements to regulations for the activity.

The coroner previously told the hearing that after a “risk acknowledgement” briefing, the participants were kitted out in wetsuits, neoprene socks, buoyancy aids and helmets.

He said that Mr Farrell’s family members were among a group of nine people assigned to “experienced” guide Mr Ridley, who had completed his training and been issued with a certificate in coasteering leading in July 2016.

The hearing was told Mr Farrell told Mr Ridley he could not swim well but he could bob, to which the guide had joked “about thinking his name was Iain and not Bob”.

The inquest heard that Land & Wave was licensed by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) in February 2019 and abided by the National Coasteering Charter (NCC) requirement of using one guide for a maximum of 10 participants.

Mr Allen praised the bravery of the other participants who he said had endured a “terrifying experience”, as well as members of the public who came to Mr Farrell’s assistance along with the RNLI and Coastguard.

He also offered his condolences to Mr Farrell’s family and friends.

He said: “Iain’s family have waited a long time for this inquest and they have composed themselves with the utmost dignity throughout, even when hearing what must have been extremely upsetting and distressing evidence.”

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Mr Allen said that he would be sending his PFD report to the AALA, the NCC and to Land & Wave.

Mr Farrell’s brother, Matthew Farrell, said in a statement after the inquest: “My brother made a decision to get in, but I don’t think he really knew he’d be involved in a series of various oversights and mistakes that would snowball out of control.

“It would be speculation to wonder if there may have been a different outcome if the instructor had swum to raise the alarm by the onshore VHF radio, instead of splitting Iain away from the group and using a rope to tow him through the current towards a climb onto a more distant ledge than their starting point, but one can’t help wonder.

“I’m certain Iain’s survival would have been guaranteed if he had been prevented from coasteering by that company or instructor that day, but I bear no ill will towards either.”

He added: “This inquest has heard evidence a duty of care was owed and that Iain had said twice he wasn’t a fully confident swimmer, but unfortunately, a little joke was made about that by the lone instructor at Hedbury Quarry on the day.

“There has been evidence heard of deliberate acts that were arguably serious errors of judgment, or omissions or breaches on the part of the company and instructor – such as the choice not to allocate a second instructor – despite the group having four children, two asthmatics and Iain as a self-declared less confident swimmer.

“There was also evidence heard of a failure to disclose the extent of tidal sea-swimming requirements prior to water entry.

“The coroner decided such evidence didn’t amount to neglect, negligence, or an unlawful killing and directed the jury accordingly.”

Mr Farrell continued: “We all await the coroner’s report on Preventing Future Deaths after this tragic incident.

“My parents, sisters and I wholeheartedly thank all responders – especially the RNLI – for saving the lives of the other eight participants, including both of Iain’s sons.

“His widow Amanda has asked me to give special thanks to the rest of Iain’s coasteering group, who looked after the boys and one another in the sea that day.”