Inquest Rules Liverpool Couple Drowned After Car Hydrolocked in Floodwater Days Before 54th Anniversary

An inquest has concluded that Philip Marco, 77, and his wife Elaine, 75, drowned after their car became stranded in deep floodwater on Queens Drive in Liverpool on Aug. 26, 2023 — one week before what would have been their 54th wedding anniversary.

Senior coroner André Rebello recorded the medical cause of Philip Marco’s death as “drowning with severe ischaemic heart disease” and Elaine Marco’s death as “drowning.” The inquest heard that torrential rain created standing water on the carriageway. Philip was driving a black Mercedes C180 with Elaine in the front passenger seat when the vehicle entered that floodwater and the engine stopped.

The coroner’s report explains the likely mechanics: a bow wave produced by the Mercedes — and probably a second vehicle passing from the opposite direction — forced water into the engine air intake, causing the engine to hydrolock and rendering the car immobile. With gullies and the combined sewer overwhelmed by the heavy rain, the road filled and the vehicle became submerged.

Emergency services and firefighters attended the scene. Fire crews made attempts to rescue the couple; Elaine was found face down in water and taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead, while Philip was located submerged toward the rear of the vehicle and later pronounced deceased at the same hospital. The coroner praised the firefighters’ efforts, noting they “risked their lives” during the rescue attempts.

Rebello described the verdict as misadventure, concluding the deaths resulted from the car driving into severe flooding that caused its engine to stop and the occupants to become trapped.

The inquest also highlighted that the stretch of Queens Drive — between North Mossley Hill Road and Dovedale Road — had a history of flooding. The record noted four flood-related incidents at that location in 2023. Despite this pattern, there were no warning signs or barriers in place at the time of the incident; signage and barriers were installed only after the Marcos’ deaths.

“There was always a risk to life due to flooding when there was very heavy rainfall in this location since the arterial road was created,” the coroner wrote, adding that urban development and changing precipitation patterns have increased that risk. He found a delay in introducing warning signage and barriers to be a failure, saying such measures would have better forewarned drivers of the danger.

Outside the hearing, the Marcos’ family said the deaths were “completely avoidable” and accused the local authority of failing to accept responsibility. They described Philip and Elaine as warm, devoted parents and grandparents whose loss has deeply affected relatives travelling from abroad to grieve.

The inquest record and family statements were published following the coroner’s findings. Authorities were contacted for comment during the inquest proceedings.

This tragic incident underscores the lethal risks posed by sudden urban flooding, the phenomenon of engine hydrolock from bow waves, and the importance of clear road warnings and infrastructure measures in flood-prone areas.