A HOMELESS person has been named as the man who died after falling into a stream in Jericho last week.

Dennis Sheridan, 60, fell into Castle Mill Stream in Oxford on Wednesday night as horrified passers-by called for help, an inquest opening heard today.

Oxford Coroner's Court heard that Mr Sheridan, who had no job and no fixed address, had fallen from a makeshift raft which he called home and suffered "unsalvageable" levels of hypothermia. 

Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter told the court: "At 9.20pm he was seen by bystanders and friends standing on the raft. They heard a loud splash and called 999. 

"Police officers and fire crews searched the water in boats and in an hour he was found in cardiac arrest. He was extricated and was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital."

He said Mr Sheridan's body temperature had plunged to 22 degrees celsius, well-below the level at which hypothermia sets in at 35 degrees.

Mr Salter said resuscitation attempts lasted for 20 minutes until doctors agreed that the "extreme level of hypothermia" was "unsalvageable".

His body was identified on Thursday by PC Simon Collins, homeless liaison officer for Thames Valley Police, confirmed by fingerprint matches.

Results of a post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was "unascertainable" at this stage. 

An inquest date has been set for August 24.