Consultant tells inquiry boxer’s injury deemed to be ‘unsurvivable’
A medical consultant was told that a Scottish boxer who died after a fight had suffered an “unsurvivable injury”, a fatal accident inquiry has heard.
Ryan Connelly was giving evidence at the inquiry at Glasgow Sheriff Court into the death of fighter Mike Towell. Mr Connelly said Mr Towell was “profoundly unconscious” when he arrived at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. But he said that he was “surprised and dis- appointed” that surgeons felt that they could not operate. The 25-year-old fighter from Dundee collapsed in the ring in Glasgow, after losing a bout to Welshman Dale Evans on 29 September 2016. He died 24 hours later after suffering a bleed in the brain. Mr Connelly said the boxer was given an emergency CT scan after arriving at the hospital.
He said: “I could see the scan myself, I was very quickly aware he had a significant injury to his brain.”
Mr Connelly said he left the scan to phone a neurosurgeon because “if anything was going to save his life it would be immediate neurosurgery”. Mr Connelly said he was told it’s an “unsurvivable injury”.
The inquiry continues.