Pub landlord electrocuted on dream trip to India while trying to get ‘perfect photo’ of Himalayas

Inquest hears 71-year-old pub landlord was fulfilling lifelong dream of visiting India

Ivan Brown, former landlord of The Murderers in Timberhill (Norwich Evening News / SWNS)

A popular landlord died after being electrocuted “in pursuit of the perfect photograph” of the Himalayan mountains while on a dream trip to India, an inquest has heard.

Ivan Brown, landlord of the Murderers in Norwich, Norfolk, died while on holiday with a close friend in India earlier this year.

An inquest into his death heard that Mr Brown had electrocuted himself while attempting to steady himself using an overhead cable - which he was unaware was live.

The accident happened in the district of Chamba after the 71-year-old had clambered onto a low roof as a vantage point to take a photograph overlooking the mountain range.

The court heard Mr Brown was six weeks into an eight-week Indian trip with his friend David Linder, with the pair fulfilling a lifelong ambition to visit the nation.

The pair had already visited several sites including Delhi and the Taj Mahal, not stopping in one place to ensure they saw as much of the country as possible.

The incident happened in Baikunth Nagar near Dalhousie on 2 April.

Mr Linder said: “We were just a couple of septuagenarians backpacking across India to discover the history, culture and geography of a fascinating country - although in reality we were staying in hotels and driving.

“As we were leaving our hotel we found the most stunning view and asked our driver to pull over.

“Ivan was always in pursuit of the perfect photograph and reached up on a cable not realising it was live.”

The shock caused Mr Brown to fall backwards, hitting his head on the wall below.

Mr Linder added: “I believe he died instantly.”

Area coroner for Norfolk Yvonne Blake concluded that Mr Brown‘s death had been an accident.

Mr Brown was from of Upper King Street, Norwich.