A Poolburn man who was found dead inside his vehicle, which was submerged in the Poolburn dam in March, died of natural causes, a coroner has found.
Otago-Southland coroner David Crerar issued a notification he would not be opening an inquiry into the death of Scotsman David John Williams (66), a retired carpenter known as Jock or Jocka.
While Mr Williams was "grossly intoxicated" on the night of his death and should not have been driving, an autopsy report identified the cause of his death as ischaemic heart disease, Mr Crerar said.
Mr Williams visited friends at their holiday house at the dam on the evening of March 17. He had a meal there and had been drinking with them.
When he left to return to his hut less than 1km away, he reversed out of the car park next to the house and his vehicle travelled down a short steep bank into the dam.
The vehicle was discovered shortly afterwards and Mr Williams pulled from it. Mr Crerar said it was not considered Mr Williams' head was under the water. CPR was carried out and emergency services were called but Mr Williams could not be revived.
Toxicological examination of Mr Williams' blood measured 268mg of alcohol to 100ml of blood.
However, Mr Crerar determined his death was because of natural causes, "although the cardiac arrhythmia, brought about by the ischaemic heart disease, may have been exacerbated by the significantly high alcohol content and/or the shock of the entry of the vehicle into the water".
