A 54-YEAR-OLD man found floating in the River Tees died as a result of drowning, a coroners' court heard.
Andrew Thomas, of Elmwood, Eaglescliffe, disappeared following a night out that ended in the Keys nightspot, in Yarm.
He left the pub at about 1.30am on January 6 and was never seen alive again.
It is believed he drank an estimated 18 pints of cider during the evening and toxicology reports indicated there was a moderate level of alcohol in his system.
His jacket, mobile phone and keys were discovered on the riverbank in Preston Park before his body was found by a walker on February 13, near the Victoria Bridge.
Home Office pathologist Dr James Sunter told the hearing that Mr Thomas drowned.
Recording an open verdict, Coroner Michael Sheffield said: "What happened after he left the nightclub no one knows."
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