An Oxford University rower died when his boat sank in freak weather during a training session in Spain, an inquest heard today.

Leo Blockley, 21, and his rowing colleagues set off on the River Ebro, in Amposta, near Barcelona, just five minutes before a weather forecast warned of a storm approaching on December 29 last year.

Mr Blockley of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, was rowing with seven other men and a cox.

Another boat was also taking part in the exercise along with two motorised vessels with coaching staff on board.

The postgraduate maths student, from Lincoln College, was a member of Oxford University's Lightweight Rowing Club, which was taking part in the trip to Spain.

The inquest at Tameside Coroner's Court in Ashton-under-Lyne was told that the 150m-wide river was calm when the teams set off just before 8am.

The two boats were on their way back towards the rowing club when the weather changed.

Jeremy Fagan, the university's rowing club president, who was in the second boat, said one of the motorised boats suffered a problem.

Mr Blockley and his colleagues in the first boat went to see if they could help, but were waved away by the coaching staff on board.

Peter Bannister was sitting next to Mr Blockley.

He said that the boat was filling up with water and all the rowers got out.

Mr Blockley and at least two other rowers tried to swim to a jetty about 200m away.

He said he saw Mr Blockley calling for help, but he was swept away by the current.

His body was recovered eight miles downstream on January 25.

Pathologist Andrew Yates gave the cause of death as asphyxia due to drowning.

South Manchester coroner John Pollard recorded a verdict of accidental death