A SON has spoken of his sadness after his father inexplicably drowned in the River Thames. 

Roy Robins sparked a major police search when he was reported missing by his family. 

The 81-year-old left his home on Rose Street, Wokingham, and his body was later recovered from the water by firefighters after he was spotted by a member of the public on January 7. 

His inquest at Reading Town Hall on Thursday was unable to determine how or where he entered the water and the coroner recorded an open conclusion. 

His son, Mick Robins, said: “We are all absolutely devastated that his death is unexplained. It has been a terrible last seven months and we will probably never get any closure. 

“I would like to thank Thames Valley Police for their extensive efforts in trying to find my dad. They really went out of their way. It was like everything else stopped while they were trying to find him. 

“He will be missed by his wife, his children and his grandchildren. He was a keen sportsman and played squash into his seventies.”

Mr Robins’ wife Myra was in hospital when he went missing, having fallen from a ladder and broken her hip taking down Christmas decorations. 

The inquest heard how he had scars on both knees, having had surgery, but there were no other signs of injury. 

A pedestrian called for help when she spotted a body floating near Reading Bridge on George Street. 

A specialist water rescue team and paramedics from South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) attended the scene, but there was no opportunity to save his life. 

Peter Bedford, senior coroner for Berkshire, told the family that he had handled a spate of similar deaths in recent months and commented on how frustrating it was to be unable to give the family the answers they were looking for. 

He added: “The problem with these kinds of incidents is that unless there is a witness or CCTV cameras nearby, we have no idea what has happened. 

“I cannot give you the answers that you understandably crave and that is the frustration of cases like this, which there have regrettably been more and more of lately.

“There is no evidence that he was pushed or deliberately jumped into the water. He was in good shape for a man of his age and there is no indication of any underlying medical problems.”