Woman falls to death in St Paul’s
A WOMAN died at St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday after falling 100ft from the famous Whispering Gallery in front of shocked witnesses.
Staff and paramedics battled to save her, but she was declared dead just after 10.30am.
The woman fell from the narrow walkway around the bottom of the world-famous landmark’s iconic dome.
Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
A cathedral spokesman said: “First aid-trained staff were immediately at the scene, and police and paramedics arrived within minutes.
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“Although robust procedures for emergency situations are in place at St Paul’s – and today’s response bore that out – it does not lessen the shock we feel as a close community, especially for those of us who witnessed and responded to this incident.
“We hold also in our thoughts those visitors within the cathedral at the time. We think and pray especially at this time for the woman who died, and for all those who were close to her and who loved and cared for her.”
Reidan Fredstrom, a tourist from the United States, arrived at the cathedral just moments after the woman fell from the balcony.
Ms Fredstrom, 38, said: “I got to the entrance at around 10.30am and one of the people who check bags was very upset and crying. Several police officers went running in, and about 10 minutes later a man who works at St Paul’s told another tourist near me that someone had been badly injured.
“He assured us that there was no safety concern – they just didn’t want people walking by this person.”
The cathedral, which was closed after yesterday morning’s incident, is due to reopen for morning prayers today.
A spokesman for the City of London Police said: “The incident is being treated as non-suspicious. Officers are currently working to establish the circumstances around the incident.”