THE sisters of a man who drowned in a stream at Rodbourne Cheney say he could have lived if more people cared.

Daniel Barry – Danny to those who loved him – was found faced down in a stream, south of Tovey Road at 9.15am on January 27 last year.

At least three people saw the 39-year-old the night prior to his death, behaving in a drunken way and appearing to shout at himself.

Yet no-one called the police, unaware that Danny, a recovering heroin addict, had suffered a reaction to prescribed drugs and methadone.

The next morning his lifeless body was discovered by a dog walker.

Pathologist Jeanette Armstrong recorded the cause of death as drowning with a contributory factor being ischemic heart disease, a condition which hampers blood flow to the heart.

Speaking after his inquest at Trowbridge Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, his four sisters said he could have been saved if only someone had dialled 999.

Anne-Marie Greenwood, Danny’s older sister, said: “It is something that has tormented my family ever since Danny’s death.

People saw a drunk rambling man when he was actually crying out for help. I’m not saying anyone should have approached him but a phone call is all it took. A phone call could have saved his life.

“He was a much loved brother and we miss him so much.”

Danny moved to Swindon after finishing a 15-year prison sentence in 2001, and starting a relationship with prison employee Carole Gibbard.

In a statement read out at the inquest, Ms Gibbard said their six year relationship had been happy and loving but came to a unavoidable end when Danny became addicted to heroin.

She last saw her ex-partner the day before his body was found. He asked for money and she feared he was using heroin once again.

“It broke my heart but I couldn’t get involved because I was moving on,” she said.

Danny’s life had been dogged by tragedy, first the overwhelming guilt at the actions which put him in prison, then the death of his mother the year he was released.

He had also had to deal with the death of his little brother Wayne who was killed in a car accident soon after.

He suffered from depression and was prescribed drugs to combat the mental illness.

A large bottle of methadone was found at Danny’s home without a prescription label. He had not collected his prescription since August the previous year.

Coroner David Ridley ruled out suicide, based on evidence from Danny’s GP, who said he had never been in that frame of mind.

Instead Mr Ridley concluded that his death was the result of a tragic accident.

He said: “I am satisfied with the believe that Danny met his death through unintentional actions.”