Gaynor Lord died by misadventure after entering Norwich river, coroner finds

A coroner has concluded that Gaynor Lord, a 55-year-old woman who went missing after leaving work in Norwich and whose body was recovered from a river a week later, died of misadventure after messaging a friend that she was "going crazy".

- Jessica Murray

Lord disappeared after she left her shift at a department store's gin counter in Norwich at 2.45pm on 8 December 2023. CCTV footage showed her hurrying through the city. Her clothes and belongings were found in a park near the River Wensum.

Her body was recovered from the river after a week-long police search during which they consulted officers from Lancashire constabulary who worked on the search for Nicola Bulley earlier that year.

Norfolk's senior coroner, Jacqueline Lake, recorded a conclusion of death by misadventure and said she was satisfied Lord had "intended to enter the water, but I do find she didn't intend to die by her actions".

The coroner said Lord's mental health was noted as "stable" in January 2023, but "there was some evidence in the more recent past that she was acting out of character".