# Cyclist Down, Leeds-Liverpool Canal, Kirkstall



## wiggydiggy (2 Aug 2011)

Incident happened on Sat night were a man was found unconscious in the water, he is currently critical in Leeds General.

Unknown whether he suffered an accident, or an attack, but his bicycle is missing.

The YEP picture could be wrong (if you know the paper this wouldnt surpise you) as the BBC were filming were I have posted from google.

http://maps.google.c...F-8&sa=N&tab=nl

http://www.yorkshire...erway_1_3636441

http://www.yorkshire...erway_1_3636441

Personally I'm shocked, this is normally a very safe area to cycle so I would hate to think something untoward has happened.


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## Globalti (2 Aug 2011)

Maybe he threw the Apollo in the canal (best place for it) and the weight of it unbalanced him?


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## wiggydiggy (2 Aug 2011)

Oh I'm not even going there 

Its been a bad few weeks for that stretch of the canal as a man on a mobility scooter went into the water and drowned recently.

Where this man has been found there's a very narrow/low bridge, its possible he hit his head and went in?


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## on the road (2 Aug 2011)

That Google map is nowhere near the Leeds & Liverpool canal. did you mean here
http://maps.google.c...,38.979492&z=16


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## david k (2 Aug 2011)

doesnt add up does it


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## wiggydiggy (2 Aug 2011)

I did choose a photo that showed the bridge but unfortunately it has instead posted a general map of the area. I tried again and it seems if I zoom in and take the URL, it still posts a general map of the area. No idea sorry how to fix this.

The exact place the BBC filmed and where I mean is slightly towards leeds of the Broad Lane bridge in Kirkstall which is next to the old Kirkstall Brewaries buildings.



on the road said:


> That Google map is nowhere near the Leeds & Liverpool canal. did you mean here
> http://maps.google.c...,38.979492&z=16



The locks in the bottom centre of that link are pictured on the YEP story, which is a little further away from where I meant beyond the next bridge which is the B6157.


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## ColinJ (2 Aug 2011)

wiggydiggy said:


> Where this man has been found there's a very narrow/low bridge, its possible he hit his head and went in?


He is fairly tall - 6' 2". I'm 6' 1" and I have to mind my head when riding on towpaths under canal bridges. 

A friend of mine ended up in the Rochdale canal after whacking his head going under a local bridge (he was the worse for wear at the time, cycling home from a party)!


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## Red Light (2 Aug 2011)

on the road said:


> That Google map is nowhere near the Leeds & Liverpool canal. did you mean here
> http://maps.google.c...,38.979492&z=16



We need Google Canalview


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## wiggydiggy (2 Aug 2011)

Very true as a 6 footer myself I completely understand, the one I keep trying to link to and failing miserably is one of the lower ones in that area.

That section is actually Route 68 of Sustrans, and also the Aire Valley Towpath Cycleway but the bridge I mean is perilously low and narrow, almost unrideable esp in the wet.

The next bridge up actually diverts the path away from the canalside path onto a small ginnel/tunnel that exists for the local farmer. Unfortunately not all the bridges have these.....



Red Light said:


> We need Google Canalview



Definately! Theres normally a lot of photos from both bankside and on board boats to look at to make up for it.....


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## Norm (2 Aug 2011)

If you are just copying the displayed url when you get to the right point, wiggy, then that is your problem. You may notice that the url doesn't change when you are playing on Google, whether moving around maps or switching to Streetview, which is what causes your issue as using the displayed url will only take you to the first bit you viewed.

Instead, the top right of the map or image should have a couple of chain links. Click there and it will give you options for copy/paste into forum pages.


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## wiggydiggy (2 Aug 2011)

Top tips 

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en...id=DH6q_fw3L8kF36S58vFUng&photoid=po-28907307

Much better view of the bridge and the rough surface that can cause problems (not asking for action here from BW, just pointing out take care!)

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en...id=DH6q_fw3L8kF36S58vFUng&photoid=po-28907307

On that one you can just see the blue arrow directing you to the right to take the small tunnel i mentioned that the next bridge up has


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## david k (2 Aug 2011)

cannot see him bumping his head on that, even at 6,2 which i am


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## wiggydiggy (2 Aug 2011)

No me neither, I'm just trying to figure out whats happened......


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## Tyke (3 Aug 2011)

Police have made an arrest after a man who was found unconscious in a canal died in hospital.

Michael Houghton, 51, from Horsforth, was found by passers-by in the Leeds-Liverpool canal near the Leeds and Bradford Road in Kirkstall on Saturday.

He was taken by air ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary where he died on Tuesday night.

A 22-year-old Leeds man has been arrested in connection with the investigation and is in custody.

Quote From BBC News site. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-14392594


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## wiggydiggy (4 Aug 2011)

Good that they made an arrest, lack of witnesses makes me think someone has hopefully reported him after he's been seen with the bike?


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## Paul_L (4 Aug 2011)

this is on my commute to work. This is a nasty low bridge and the photo in the above link doesn't reflect the height and more importantly the lack of visibility as you approach. There are rumours and i hope they are false rumours that youths are waiting for cyclists to head into the arch and have an "accident" where they walk into the path of the oncoming cyclist, make them fall off and set off with the bike. There isn't room for a cyclist and pedestrian to pass under this bridge.

I ride clipless on my hybrid and i always unclip when passing through these bridges.

RIP to the cyclist.


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## wiggydiggy (5 Aug 2011)

I stopped commuting on that route precisely because I thought it was actually safer (and quicker!) to go on the road, I still use the towpath for leisure rides but bridges like this are ridden dead slow.

Wheres the rumours come from BTW? I'm a little quiet on the bike and tend not to chat to people I meet on the towpath.


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## growingvegetables (6 Jan 2012)

Today's YEP

‘Coward’ thief left man to die in Leeds Liverpool canal[url="http://"][/url]


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## GrumpyGregry (6 Jan 2012)

Despicable.


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## wiggydiggy (8 Jan 2012)

A result at least, wether he truly did find him or there was an incident we will never no.

For those of us in leeds the next leeds cycling consultation forum is this week: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/files/Internet2007/2012/2/ccf104age.pdf

I cant make it myself now, but will be interested to get the minutes later in the week.


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## Hip Priest (8 Jan 2012)

Globalti said:


> Maybe he threw the Apollo in the canal (best place for it) and the weight of it unbalanced him?


 
I too owned an Apollo Vortice, until it got nicked, thankfully in less-tragic circumstances. It wasn't a bad bike at all.


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