Cliff-plunge boy ‘suffering from sepsis’ – inquest
ATEENAGER who died after falling from cliffs while on a school geography trip was suffering from sepsis at the time, an inquest has heard.
Paddy Dear, 16, disappeared from a lesson at Dale Fort, a Field Studies Council site in Pembrokeshire, on March 17, 2016.
Milford Haven Coroner’s Court heard Paddy excused himself to go to the toilet at around 5.30pm but failed to return or go to dinner at 6pm.
Teachers from the school and Dale Fort staff started searching for the keen sportsman, who was interested in a career in construction as a project manager, before calling the police and coastguard and Paddy’s family who began to drive towards Wales.
At 1.06am the lifeboat was launched after reports that a casualty had been found at the bottom of cliffs at Dale Point.
Coroner’s officer Jeremy Davies said Paddy was pronounced dead just before 2am but it was apparent that he had died some hours before.
A post-mortem found Paddy had suffered “severe” injuries, consistent with a fall but was also suffering from group A streptococcal tonsillitis at the time of his death.
The inquest heard symptoms of the infection would have included disorientation, unsteadiness and drowsiness.
Pathologist Professor Gordan Vujanic said in his report: “It is likely this infection has contributed to his fall and therefore his cause of death.”
Paddy, of Devonshire Road, Hornchurch, in the London borough of Havering, was studying for A-levels in geography, politics, history and physical education at the Campion School.
The West Ham United fan, who the inquest heard enjoyed rugby and football, had no health issues but had been feeling unwell before going on the trip with 30 other students and three teachers on March 14.
The inquest heard he spoke to his mother, Tricia, when he arrived and said he was feeling better. She said: “Paddy did not have a medical condition, he developed sepsis and the development of the symptoms are very rapid. He was generally well.”
Classmates reported that Paddy had trouble sleeping at night and was sleeping during downtime in the day during the trip.
The inquest heard that after he left the classroom he was seen by a resident of Dale, having left the fort.
Judith Courie, who lives near the village’s yacht club, was gardening and saw a young man she later identified as Paddy pacing up and down and said he did not seem in control and was agitated. She said: “I looked up a few times because most people don’t stand and look at the sea, they meet people or something.
“I thought he was from the fort,” she said. “I thought ‘poor boy’ he must have been meeting somebody, maybe a girlfriend ... and they have not turned up. I thought maybe upset or agitated because they have not turned up.”
The inquest heard Paddy must have returned to the fort before falling from a wall into the cove below.
Returning a narrative verdict, the coroner Mark Layton said: “Patrick Seamus Dear died following a fall from height while suffering from group A streptococcal septicemia.”
Speaking after the hearing, Paddy’s uncle and godfather Danny Coyle said the family felt it was important the inquest conclusion included the fact his nephew had sepsis.
The family has since raised more than £20,000 in Paddy’s name, he said.
Some of the money paid for rugby shirts for his team to take on a trip to Australia that Paddy was supposed to be going on this year, while more was donated to the coastguard and lifeboat teams that helped search for Paddy.
But Mr Coyle said the bulk – at least £12,000 – had been raised for the UK Sepsis Trust.
He added: “Part of his legacy is that we will continue to raise awareness and funds for Sepsis UK. It will help us keep his memory alive if we do more of that work in his name.”