Fatal Fall - found lying wedged in a Barrel

By Angela Gooch on February 7th, 2008

Historic Personal Injury

Source: Skegness News 1935

CHRISTMASTIDE TRAGEDY FOUND LYING WEDGED IN BARREL.

Retired Builder’s Fatal Fall While Building His Own Bungalow

Inquest Theory of Slip Leading to Seventeen Feet Fall

VERDICT OF “DEATH FROM MISADVENTURE.”

The sad story of how a well-known Skegness resident was found by his daughter-in-law lying injured after he had fallen, with his legs wedged through a barrel, from a scaffolding seventeen feet high, was related at an inquest at the Skegness Petty Sessional Court-house last Saturday morning, when the District Coroner (Dr. F. J. Walker, J.P.) conducted an investigation into the circumstances leading to the victim’s death in the Skegness Cottage Hospital last Thursday evening.

Deceased was George Henry Brooks, aged 69, a retired builder, of Wainfleet Road, Skegness, who had been engaged in building a bungalow close to his own home when he met with the accident which led to his death a week later.
A verdict of “Death from Misadventure” was returned.

The first witness was Thomas Brooks, a local egg and poultry dealer, and son of deceased. Witness gave the formal evidence of identification, and stated that he called at the Hospital to inquire after his father at 7.30 p.m. on Thursday. He remained with him until he died.

HEARD A FALL

Jennie Brooks, deceased’s daughter-in-law, said she was in her yard on Thursday, December 20th, when she heard deceased shout “Jen bairn.” She heard a fall, and on runing out she found deceased lying on the ground at the rear of a bungalow which he was building. His legs were through a wooden barrel, the lid of which was lying near.

Deceased had been for some months engaged in building the new bungalow, which was in the same compound as that in which they were living. It was then being fitted with a slate roof, and apparently deceased had taken the barrel up the ladder with him, in order to stand on it while he was laying the slates.

LID GAVE WAY.

In witness’s opinion, the lid of the barrel had given way while deceased was standing on it, causing him to fall. With the help of others she carried him in to the house and put him to bed. Dr. Stanley Wallace was sent for immediately, and on December 24th deceased was removed to the Skegness Hospital.

Replying to the Coroner, the witness said that deceased had fallen on a previous occasion, when he was “laying out plans for the new building.”

John Jallop, of Croft Bank, said that he was riding his bicycle along Wainfleet Road about 2-30 p.m. on December 20th, when he was stopped by Mr. Harry Brooks who told him that his father had fallen and asked him to help to carry him into the house. Witness found thr deceased lying with his back propped up with cushions, and with his feet through a broken barrel. He wag groaning. He seemed conscious and opened his eyes, but he did not speak. Witness helped to convey him to bed.

MEDICAL EVIDENCE

Dr. Stanley Wallace gave evidence of being called to deceased soon after the accident. He found him lying in bed, suffering from pains in the head, the right forearm and the lower part of the spine. Witness could not find any fracture. Deceased was conscious but knew nothing about the accident. He had the movement of his legs.

Witness saw him on the following day, when condition was satisfactory.

On December 24th he was seen and taken to the hospital, where he died on December 27th from cardiac failure and hypostatic pneumonia following shock due to the fall. Deceased’s heart was intermittent, but there was no valvular disease. There was a bruise on the lower part of the spine.
Serg Falgate said that the barrel was a light wooden cask, similar to an apple cask, and the lid was found lying at the side of it. It appeared as if deceased ‘had been standing on the top of the cask and the top had given way.
The coroner returned a verdict that death was due to cardiac failure and pneumonia following shock caused by deceased’s falling from the roof of a bungalow.