THE family of a 21-year-old ‘strong swimmer’ who died in a lake at the Cotswold Water Park in July told a coroner yesterday of their concerns about the lack of warning signs at the water’s edge.

Members of car mechanic Cory Nicholson’s family were at a hearing at Gloucestershire coroner’s court for final arrangements to be made for a full inquest lasting two days next Spring.

Cory, of Calne, Wilts, went into the lake for a swim on the afternoon of July 23 but got into difficulties and died despite the efforts of other swimmers and then the emergency services to save him. He was later recovered from the water by divers.

Reports at the time that he had gone into the water to try to save his dog were later found to be untrue.

Yesterday Gloucestershire coroner Katy Skerrett ruled that she will empanel a jury to consider the inquest and she estimated it will last two days. She said she will be calling at least four eye witnesses and seven professionals such as police and doctors.

She reminded everyone present at yesterday’s pre-inquest review hearing that her responsibility is to conduct a fact-finding exercise and not a fault finding one.

Dennis Davies, a spokesman for the family, told the coroner there is a lack of signage as to where safe swimming could take place.

He added: “From the direction Cory would have approached there was no signage along the water’s edge.”

The coroner said the inquest would be a two-day hearing before a jury and would be held at a date to be fixed between March and May next year.