Inquest is told ex-postmaster died while on Spanish trip
ARETIRED postmaster from Shaw died from coronary-related diseases whilst holidaying in Spain, an inquest heard.
Dave Lewis, 72, of Trent Road, was discovered by staff in his hotel room in Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol on February 28, 2016.
Concerned friends had raised the alarm when he failed to show up for his usual breakfast.
A post-mortem was carried out in Spain but there was a delay in the information being passed to the family, Rochdale Coroner’s Court was told.
When the body was repatriated, a second autopsy was held and Spanish authorities translated a report to aid the process.
Mr Lewis was born in Salford and spent his entire working life with the Post Office, eventually becoming a postmaster in Newton Heath, Manchester, and retiring at 50.
In his statement, stepson Paul Southern said his mother Joan and Dave married in 1952 and after retirement enjoyed up to a quarter of the year on trips abroad.
Dave had never smoked and was in good health, often enjoying a ‘social drink’ with friends.
Mr Southern said Dave had been ‘feeling rough’ a few days before his death and had stayed in bed, but later seemed fine.
His statement read: “Dave’s death was a big shock.
“As far as we were concerned he was in good spirits and healthy.”
He added that the family had encountered problems dealing with the Spanish authorities due to the ‘language barrier’.
Pathologist Dr Antonio Paiva-Correia found no signs of external injuries or violence.
His initial conclusion was that the death was ‘unascertained’, but following the Spanish autopsy, was satisfied that Mr Lewis had died due to acute pulmonary oedema, caused by cardiac arrest and coronary artery atherosclerosis – a build-up of plaque inside the blood vessels serve the heart.
Assistant deputy coroner, Michael Salt, recorded a verdict of death by natural causes. that