Five-year-old boy died after falling into Padstow harbour
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy died after he fell into a popular tourist harbour while fishing and crabbing with his family, an inquest has heard.
Benjamin Cullis hit his head on the side of a yacht at Padstow in June last year and died later in hospital.
Cornwall Coroner’s Court heard that the boy was with his father and brother when the accident happened on the morning of June 24.
His father, Aidan Cullis, jumped into the harbour and lifted Benjamin on to a nearby boat where first aid was given by an off-duty anaesthetist, paediatric nurse, radiographer and fireman.
Benjamin, from Padstow, was airlifted to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro where tests found he had suffered a “very severe” head injury.
He was transferred to Bristol children’s hospital for emergency surgery, but died the following day.
In a statement read to court, Mr Cullis said how a woman sitting on a bench along the edge of the harbour wall during the incident had noted how close the children were to the edge.
“I then said the fateful words of, ‘They are always so careful at the edge’, which they are. They had been there so often they know the area and are always extremely careful at the end of the harbour.”
He said Benjamin went to put a chocolate bar wrapper in a bin, but “walked too close towards the harbour edge”.
Mr Cullis added: “I did not see his feet or see where he was looking, I could see him fall. He let out a little scream and somersaulted in the air down and his back hit the wire railing of a sailing boat that was moored against the harbour wall.
“Benjamin bounced off and somersaulted again into the water. I don’t recall hearing him hit the boat but did hear a splash as he hit the water between the boat and the harbour wall.
Mr Cullis jumped into the water and lifted his already unconscious son onto a moored boat, where first aid was administered, and he was taken to hospital.
The court heard that after speaking with doctors, Mr Cullis and his partner Jenna Rickard made the decision to withdraw ventilation, as “it was not fair on Benjamin to continue.” “Benjamin was brought back from surgery and the decision was ours as to when life support was removed.
“I looked at Jenna and said it is enough now. We dressed him in his own pyjamas and read him his favourite bedtime story, The Snail And The Whale.
“Benjamin’s breathing tube was removed and he died.”
Devon and Cornwall Police investigated Benjamin’s death and treated it as an accident.
An investigation by Cornwall council found the harbour was in “full compliance” with the Health and Safety Executive code of practice for harbours.