On a stormy December night in 2024, the quiet countryside of Northumberland became the setting for a tragedy that has rippled through the rugby community and beyond. Tom Voyce, a former England international rugby player, lost his life when his Toyota Hilux was swept away by floodwaters as he attempted to cross the River Aln at Abberwick Ford during Storm Darragh. The details of that night, revealed in a recent inquest at County Hall in Morpeth, paint a picture of a beloved athlete’s final hours and the circumstances that led to his untimely death.
According to BBC News, Tom Voyce, aged 43, had spent December 7, 2024, enjoying a day of shooting at Rothill Farm with a group that included his brother-in-law, Hugh Wood. The day’s camaraderie continued into the evening at the Queen’s Head pub in Glanton, where Voyce, by all accounts, was in good spirits, sharing laughs and conversation with friends and acquaintances. Lisa Chisholm, the pub’s landlady, described him as “good conversation” and noted that he’d consumed around four-and-a-half bottles of cider during the evening. She added, “He was absolutely fine, he stood at the end of the bar most of the evening. He was in good spirits and was good conversation.”
Hugh Wood recalled, “Tom was on his normal good form, good craic.” He last saw Voyce at about 11:45 pm, heading to the restroom, and upon returning, noticed his brother-in-law had left. No one at the pub knew exactly how Voyce planned to get home to Alnwick, which was about eight miles away—an important detail as the night’s weather was quickly deteriorating.
Storm Darragh had unleashed torrential rain on the region, causing considerable flooding and submerging local roads. The water markers at the Abberwick Ford—normally a clear warning of river depth—were entirely underwater, creating what police later described as a “mirage-like” flat surface. Detective Constable Victoria Henderson of Northumbria Police told the inquest that Voyce’s Toyota Hilux was seen passing Shawdon Hall at 12:26 am on December 8. She explained that Voyce took the U3057, a single track road heading southeast, which crosses the River Aln at the notorious ford. “Storm Darragh had caused considerable flooding and issues with the roads,” Henderson testified. “The six-foot-high water markers were submerged due to the high water levels from the storm.”
The illusion of safety proved deadly. Evidence indicated that Voyce entered the ford “at some speed,” as a fragment of his front number plate was later found broken off. The gearstick in his vehicle was discovered in reverse, suggesting a desperate attempt to back out once he realized the danger. Both off-side windows were open and the near side front window was shattered, but it remains unclear whether Voyce tried to escape himself or was forced out by the current. The pickup was found unoccupied in seven feet of storm water on the morning of December 8.
When Voyce failed to return home that night, his wife Anna reported him missing. A massive search operation ensued, involving police and UK Search and Rescue teams. Four days later, on December 12, Voyce’s body was discovered in deep water near Old Abberwick Mill, roughly 700 meters downstream from where his vehicle was found. Aaron Duke of UK Search and Rescue confirmed the discovery at 11:20 am. The coroner, Andrew Hetherington, would later rule the death accidental, with the medical cause determined as “immersion in water.”
The inquest, as reported by Chronicle Live, revealed that Voyce’s blood alcohol level was 215 milligrams per 100 milliliters—between two and a half and three times the legal drink-drive limit in England and Wales. Dr. Clive Bloxham, the pathologist who conducted the post-mortem, told the court, “Despite the possibility of tolerance to taking alcohol, this level would be expected to have impaired his co-ordination and judgement. (It would have caused) a significant degree of intoxication and impaired decision making prior to his death.” However, Dr. Bloxham added, “I don’t think it has directly contributed to his cause of death but it was a significant finding in its own right.” The official cause of death was listed as drowning, with alcohol not deemed a direct causal factor.
Voyce’s tragic end has prompted questions about the safety of rural fords, especially during extreme weather. His wife Anna asked the inquest about the possibility of installing barriers at the crossing to prevent future tragedies. The coroner responded that he would raise the suggestion with Northumberland County Council and Northumbria Police. Hetherington also stated his intention to seek further assistance regarding signage at other local fords, though he was satisfied that appropriate warnings were in place at the U3057 entrance.
In the wake of his death, tributes poured in from the rugby world and beyond. Voyce, originally from Truro in Cornwall, had been a standout player, earning nine caps for England and making 220 Premiership appearances for clubs including Bath, Wasps, and Gloucester. He retired from professional rugby in 2013 and moved with his wife and son Oscar to Northumberland in 2019, where he launched his own business after leaving a banking role in London. Former teammates, including World Cup winners Matt Dawson and Lawrence Dallaglio, expressed their shock and sadness at his passing.
His widow, Anna, spoke through Northumbria Police after the tragedy, saying, “Absolutely devastated and heartbroken doesn’t even describe how we feel. Tom was proud, and cherished, his rugby memories and as an adopted Northumbrian local he leaves a hole in so many of our hearts. My main focus now is our son Oscar.”
The inquest, which resumed on September 22, 2025, concluded with the coroner’s accidental death ruling, but the pain for those closest to Tom Voyce remains palpable. His loss is felt not only by his family and friends but also by the wider rugby community and the local residents of Northumberland, who are left to grapple with the dangers posed by severe weather and rural roads. As the community reflects on the circumstances of his death, there is hope that lessons learned may help prevent similar tragedies in the future.
