Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Man, 102, died days after rescue from roof
A102-YEAR-OLD man with an “adventurous spirit” lost his life after becoming trapped on his roof for three days when he went to fix his TV aerial.
Ronald Easton, known as ‘Ton-Up Ron’ to his friends and neighbours, died in a Devon hospital on November 2, an inquest heard.
Senior coroner Ian Arrow revealed how the retired car hire business owner had taken a ladder and climbed onto a flat roof of an extension to his property in the picturesque village of Bigbury, in the South Hams, supposedly to fix his TV aerial.
However, it is believed he fell over at some stage and became trapped in a gully between two shallow roofs. There he lay for three days in a prone position, unable to move and exposed to the elements.
On October 24, his milkwoman spotted milk bottles had not been collected for three days and she alerted neighbours, who in turn called the emergency services.
Paramedics from South West Ambulance Service Trust treated Mr Easton – who was born in Solihull in 1916 – and, with assistance from firefighters from Kingsbridge fire station, were able to get him off the roof and into a waiting ambulance.
He was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where he was treated for bronchopneumonia.
But despite the best efforts of medical staff, he died in the early hours of November 2.
Mr Arrow read a statement from Mr Easton’s GP, Dr Peter Pollak, who said the 102-year-old suffered from glaucoma and had had an annual review with the surgery nurse in November the previous year.
The doctor said Mr Easton’s only vice appeared to be smoking a pipe, which he did in the evenings. He was considered fit and well and still drove a car.
The statement from paramedic staff said Mr Easton was found in a prone position. He was conscious, alert and talking, although he appeared to be unsure about what had happened. The medical cause of death was determined to be bronchopneumonia, following a fall and “a long lie” and coupled with ischaemic heart disease.
Mr Arrow said he would keep his summary brief but recognised that the inquest was “unusual in the age of the deceased and circumstances of how he came to die”.
He said Mr Easton suffered the effects of exposure after being trapped on the gully of the flat roof for three days and he would record a verdict of accidental death.
He extended his condolences to Mr Easton’s family and added that it was “fair to say we were struck in the coroner’s office by the adventurous spirit of this man”.
Neighbours had previously told how Mr Easton was known as ‘TonUp Ron’ due to his love of cars. One neighbour who watched the rescue by the emergency services, described him as a “incredible old boy who still drives his MG sports car”. She revealed that he had been a rally driver who had once taken part in the famous Dakar rally.