A freak accident at the David Lloyd gym that killed the husband of Coronation Street star Carol Royle has been revealed

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A freak accident at the David Lloyd gym that killed the husband of Coronation Street star Carol Royle has been revealed

The husband of Coronation Street actress Carol Royle died after diving into an icy outdoor pool at his local David Lloyd leisure centre, MailOnline has revealed.

Julian Spears – a music industry legend who made stars of the Boom Town Rats and The Stranglers – had seen steam rising from the pool and assumed it was heated – as he had used it every time for the past four years.

But when he jumped in, the cold temperature caused a sudden massive brain hemorrhage.

Mr Spears, 74, was able to drive home safely after a dip at David Lloyd’s Hampton branch in west London.

He even made himself lunch and had started putting stamps on Christmas cards sent to family and friends abroad when he started feeling sick and getting dizzy.

The PR boss of music company Phonogram collapsed in a downstairs cloakroom and called his wife for help.

She called an ambulance and he was rushed to West Middlesex Hospital from his home in Twickenham, west London, on Sunday afternoon.

He died the next day on Monday as a result of the internal bleeding he suffered, due to a part of the brain that was inoperable.

The husband of Coronation Street actress Carol Royle died after diving into an icy outdoor pool at his local David Lloyd leisure centre, MailOnline can reveal

Actress Carol Royle pictured with her son Sam Taran and husband Julian Spear

Mrs Royle, second from left, posted this photo of her husband Julian, far right, on Instagram

His devastated family today paid tribute to an ‘incredible’ husband and father who jogged three times a week, cycled instead of driving and ate healthy organic food.

Wife Carol said: ‘We met at 14 and were childhood sweethearts. We went our separate ways, of course, but we got back together in 1977 and have been together ever since.

“He was the healthiest person you could meet, he ate organic whole foods. He was an avid jogger and ran every day. He cycled to the shops instead of driving and went for walks after every meal.

‘He loved life, incredibly passionate about music. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of music from the 1960s to the present. That’s why he loved quiz games, he kept me tempted because he always got everything right.

‘But he was very modest, he never boasted about the incredible successes he had, such as breaking The Boom Town Rats and The Stranglers.

‘He worked with artists like Barry White and Cheryl Crow.

“But Julian was such a very grounded man, a very humble man. He was never full of himself and had an amazing talent for giving people the press they deserved.

“I’m so sorry he’s not here to hear the praise and the tributes.

“I’ll remember so many things about him.

And there were so many. But he had such a positivity in life and a passion for everything he did. he believed completely in his children.

‘It was his nature to be a provider. Nothing was ever a problem.

‘I don’t know how we’re going to deal with Christmas this year. It just won’t be the same.

Julian Spears had seen steam rising from the pool and assumed it was heated – as he had used it every time for the past four years

Royle, 70, is in mourning after her husband of 47 years died in a freak swimming pool accident

‘The Christmas cards we wanted to send to friends and family abroad have still been sitting untouched in the same place on his desk since Sunday.

‘He had only gone to the leisure center to use the outdoor swimming pool. For the past four years he has been swimming there three to four times a week.

‘The pool was always heated. On the other occasions he used it, it was never cold.

‘And on Sunday he remembered seeing steam rising from the water, so he assumed it was normally heated.

“But he jumped in and the water was ice cold. He was quite shaken, but managed to get out and drive home safely.

‘Apparently there were signs warning people that the pool was not heated that day, but we don’t know exactly where these signs were located or how prominent they were.

‘But no one told Julian at reception or at any other time that there was a problem with the pool heating before he jumped in.

‘Julian returned home and arranged a spot for lunch, then went to his office to put stamps on the Christmas cards.

‘I heard him calling to me and found him collapsed in the downstairs cloakroom.

‘He complained that he felt bad and that he lost his balance. He said the room was spinning so much that he didn’t want to open his eyes

‘I called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital. The hemorrhage occurred in an inoperable part of the brain and he died the next day.

‘He made me complete. One hundred percent. He was kind, genuine, generous and lived life to the fullest.”

Mrs Royle shared another photo of her husband Julian on social media

The 70-year-old is pictured as Lady Patricia Brewster in Heartbeat

Daughter Tally, a songwriter and musician, said: “My dad recently gave me a Taylor acoustic guitar as an early Christmas present.

“From now on, every song I write will be inspired by him and dedicated to him.

‘He was always the first person I went to when I wanted to exchange ideas or show material.

‘So many people who worked with him have contacted us to share their memories of Dad and pay tribute.

“Bob Harris said he was a man of warmth, integrity and love. Cheryl Crow saw him as a member of her family, they loved each other and worked together for more than 30 years. She is absolutely heartbroken.

“Even my friends have contacted me to remember how Dad played guitar for them, made them healthy snacks and made them laugh a lot.

‘His kindness left a mark on their lives. A friend used a quote from Maya Angelou that I think is particularly apt and reads: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel’

“That sums it up Dad perfectly.”

Son Taran, 41, also a musician, added: He was an incredible father, he couldn’t have been more loving.

“He always told us how much he believed in us and would inspire us. He was our biggest fan and we were his.

“We will remember him for the music he gave us and the love he gave us.”

The dangers of jumping into cold water

Immersing the body in ice-cold water is praised by world-famous iceman Wim Hof, among others, because it gives you a ‘natural power’ to heal yourself.

However, the Dutchman’s methods, which also involve unusual breathing techniques, have recently been linked to a series of deaths.

It is believed that 11 deaths, including that of a 17-year-old girl, have occurred since 2015 after people tried his techniques or others like them.

Both aspects of Hof’s plan, cold water and breathing exercises, carry risks and these are magnified when the two are combined – something Hof warns against.

Some of the dangers behind cold water therapy include:

The first thing that happens after the body is suddenly exposed to cold water is to suddenly gasp for air because the body needs oxygen. This is followed by hyperventilation, a rate of rapid breathing that is ten times faster than normal.
The sudden change and demand for oxygen can cause people to increase their risk of drowning as water can enter their lungs, especially if they are suddenly submerged with their mouth and nose submerged.
It can also worsen feelings of panic, potentially leading to disorientation, making drowning more likely.
Sudden exposure to cold water dramatically increases the risk of cardiac arrest because the body reacts dramatically to cold temperatures.
This shock puts the body into survival mode as it desperately tries to slow the amount of heat escaping and keep vital organs functioning. It causes the body’s blood vessels to constrict in an attempt to prevent life-giving heat from leaking through the skin and limbs.
At the same time, the heart rate increases when the organ is put under extreme pressure, causing a potentially fatal spike in blood pressure. In extreme cases, this can lead to cardiac arrest, the medical term for when the heart stops beating.
If a person remains in icy water for an extended period of time, he or she will develop hypothermia, leading to fatigue, confusion and slowed breathing, which can lead to drowning.
The rate of cold-related weakness in the extremities varies depending on the temperature of the water and whether the individual is wearing equipment such as a thermal wetsuit.