A mother drowned in a river in York after being reported missing to police, an inquest heard.

Louise Brown’s body was recovered from the River Ouse near Love Lane on Monday, July 31, 2023.

As The Press reported at the time, she was reported missing to police after being last seen on Wednesday, July 26, in the Heslington Lane area.

An inquest resumed into the death of the 41-year-old, who lived in Fulford, on Wednesday (February 21) at Northallerton Coroner's Court. 

Coroner Jon Heath told the hearing a post-mortem revealed the cause of death was drowning.

He adjourned the inquest to a later date after new evidence came to light during the hearing.

Mr Heath said how Ms Brown came to be in the river was unclear.

A statement read at the inquest from Peter Smith, acting detective sergeant at North Yorkshire Police, said he did not believe there was any third-party involvement in Ms Brown’s death.

The inquest heard that Ms Brown suffered from mental health problems before her death.

She sought treatment from her GP and Mind counsellors to manage this.

Ms Brown’s City of York Council local area coordinator, Ellen Vipond, said she was “proactive” in seeking help and “knew what she needed”.

Her parents described their daughter to the hearing.

“When she was well, she was an amazing mother. When she was poorly, she needed support,” Ms Brown’s mother said.

“She was so highly intelligent. Anything she set her mind to she would do it. She would work and work,” her father added.

Ms Brown’s father said his daughter worked hard during her studies at school and continued to do so in adult life.

She completed a sociology degree at the University of Bradford and a teaching qualification.

Ms Brown taught adults with learning difficulties while on placement at a college.

This led to her being offered a job there. 

“All the students there loved her. They thought she was fantastic,” Ms Brown’s father said.

But after facing trouble working with other adults at the college she left and never returned to teaching, the hearing was told.

Two members of the public saw Ms Brown’s body in the River Ouse and contacted the emergency services.

The day before (Sunday, July 30) police officers found her car near Skeldergate Bridge.

At the time North Yorkshire Police said specialist departments, including the Operational Support Unit and the Police Underwater Search Unit, were involved in the search for Ms Brown.

Vehicles belonging to the units were seen on July 31 in King’s Staith next to the River Ouse.

The York Rescue Boat and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service were also called in to help with the search.

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