Young entrepreneur crushed to death by tree holding up his tent
A YOUNG entrepreneur camping in woodland has died after the tree he anchored his tent and hammock to collapsed on top of him.
Ryan O’carroll, 25, was camping with his wife and younger brother while attending the Boardmasters festival in Newquay.
The tree fell on Mr O’carroll, from Southampton, at Tehidy Country Park, near Camborne. He suffered serious head injuries and died in hospital. Mr O’carroll was the CEO and founder of Yo Telecom, which he launched in 2013 with his friend Nathan Hanslip when they were both just out of university.
Mr O’carroll’s wife, Stephanee Leal O’carroll, posted a tribute online. She said: “This song explains how I feel at this moment. Lost. Scared. Confused. I miss you baby so much.”
In a further tribute on her Instagram, she wrote: “I’ve tried to write this down many times and every time it doesn’t seem to say enough. The day I met you was the best day of my life. This whole thing has been surreal. I can’t believe you won’t be next to me any more. We were inseparable.”
His mother, Giselle O’carroll, also posted a picture with her son on Facebook on the day he died as a tribute.
Mr O’carroll was helped by a local woman and her son after they were flagged down by a young boy as they drove past. Natalie Jupp said: “It was pitch black. I have no idea how long he had been there or how long he would have waited if we didn’t drive past. My 19-year-old son darted out and found a huge tree had crushed a man. He looked dead. It must have been 20ft [long].” Ms Jupp, who is trained in CPR, tried to get to Mr O’carroll while her son attempted to lift the tree from his chest. Eventually three people managed to shift it just enough for her to treat him, but he wasn’t breathing.
“There were no signs of life,” she said. “The tree had crushed his skull, but eventually we managed to get a heartbeat. He was alive, but only just.”
Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were notified on Saturday to reports of a concern of welfare of a man in his 20s who was believed to have been involved in an incident at Tehidy Country Park.
“Reports came in that a man had received serious head injuries after a tree had fallen where he had been staying in a tent and he was taken to Derriford Hospital. The man later died as a result of injuries.
“This is not being treated as a suspicious incident and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”