Dudley best man feared dead after late-night skinny dip at wedding

Aug 8 2010 by Christina Savvas, Sunday Mercury

RELATIVES and friends of a Dudley man who went missing after going for a late-night skinny dip at a wedding reception fear that he may have drowned.

Patrick Cody, who is in his early 20s, has not been seen since he went for a swim at Patshull Park Hotel and Country Club, near Wolverhampton, on Friday night.

Hours earlier he had been laughing and joking at the church ceremony of best friends David and Sarah Abbiss, whose families are from Sedgley and Wombourne.

More than 100 guests attended the wedding service at St Chad’s and All Saints Roman Catholic Church in Sedgley on Friday afternoon, followed by the reception at the Pattingham hotel.

After giving his speech, Patrick – who suffers from asthma – went for a swim in the fishing lake at about 11pm, but failed to return.

He had left his clothes at a jetty in front of the hotel and was last seen swimming towards boats on the opposite bank. Friends heard shouts for help and the alarm was raised.

The lake, which is one mile long and up to 200 metres wide at places, has an average depth of 35ft.

Emergency services were called to the hotel and an extensive search involving police helicopters, divers, fire and rescue boats and thermal imaging cameras was carried out.

But West Midlands Ambulance Service was stood down from the search shortly before 4am yesterday morning.