A 71-year-old was found dead in a pond just hours after he discharged himself from hospital.

Derek Pitman, 71, from Blackpole, was found dead in the water at Worcester Woods near County Hall in Worcester on June 8 last year.

Mr Pitman had been taken to hospital after falling on June 7 but refused the help of paramedics and doctors and left hospital – only to fall again on his journey home and was later found dead by a dog walker.

Worcestershire’s assistant coroner James Puzey ruled the death was an accident at Worcestershire Coroner’s Court in Stourport on Wednesday (October 18).

The inquest heard how the former postman was a keen walker and made weekly long trips on foot between Worcester and Crowle.

Mr Pitman, who was known as Del, had fallen over on one such trip but declined treatment, and even a lift home, from concerned paramedics who eventually convinced the 71-year-old he needed to go to hospital.

At around 10.30pm that day, Mr Pitman discharged himself and left Worcestershire Royal Hospital but did not make it home and he was found dead in a pool at Worcester Woods near County Hall on June 8.

The assistant coroner said Mr Pitman died from multiple injuries and immersion in water as well as hypertensive heart disease in his ruling.

A post-mortem said Mr Pitman’s cause of death was “not straightforward” and it was most likely that he had injured himself and fell into the water.

The inquest heard how paramedics were sent to reports of a fall on a canal towpath near Tibberton on June 7.

One paramedic, Ben Solomon, told the inquest that Mr Pitman “actively refused” treatment despite being told he could die as a result.

Paramedics said Mr Pitman struggled to stand up and was unable to walk himself to the ambulance, and after repeating himself several times and forgetting the conversation he had just had, they took the 71-year-old to A&E.

Dr Jennifer Hardy and Dr Hani Zakaria, who both assessed Mr Pitman at Worcestershire Royal Hospital that day, said Mr Pitman continued to decline help and they warned the 71-year-old that he would die if he left without being treated.

But doctors said they were unable to treat Mr Pitman, who was able to recall what doctors had told him which meant they believed had the capacity to make his own decisions.

Dr Zakaria told the inquest she wished Mir Pitman had failed the mental capacity tests because she wanted to keep him in hospital.

“I was unable to go against his wishes, even though I disagreed,” she told the inquest.

Assistant coroner Mr Puzey said Mr Pitman had been at hospital for more than three hours and “consistently” said he wanted to leave and the coroner believed he understood the risks of leaving.