MYSTERY surrounds the death of a Suffolk port worker who died unexpectedly while living in Tanzania, an inquest has heard.

MYSTERY surrounds the death of a Suffolk port worker who died unexpectedly while living in Tanzania, an inquest has heard.

Richard Craft, 47, chief operating officer at the port of Dar es Salaam, died on July 7 last year following a night out with friends.

The inquest into his death was held yesterday at Ipswich Crown Court by Greater Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean.

Mr Craft moved to Tanzania with his wife Caron and their children following a promotion from the Port of Felixstowe, which is owned by Hutchison Ports.

In June 2007 his family returned to the UK for a holiday and Mr Craft was expecting to join them a few weeks later.

However the inquest heard that on July 7 his wife was told of her husband's sudden and unexpected death.

She flew out to Tanzania with her father-in-law and they were told that Mr Craft had spent the previous night out with friends.

His body was found at 6.15am the next morning, Dr Dean told the inquest.

He said that Mr Craft's body was flown back to the UK and despite a number of post-mortem examinations the cause of death was unascertainable.

“The circumstances have all been looked at in considerable detail,” he said. “The situation is that we do not know with any certainty what the cause of death was here.

“That means we can only really record an open verdict.”