Latest news with #oxygen deprivation
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Girl, 15, died after swimming on a full stomach
A teenage girl died after going swimming on a full stomach, an inquest has heard. Lucy Reed died from oxygen deprivation after she ate pizza and chips before going swimming in the River Humber on June 24 2023. The inquest heard that she had eaten a 'substantial' meal before she entered the water near Cleethorpes pier, in Lincolnshire, and was swept out of her depth. She attempted to swim towards a point where she could stand, but then 'vomited, inhaling her gastric contents' and lost consciousness. Lucy had visited the seaside town for a day trip with her mother Liz and a friend. They stopped for an early lunch and her mother encouraged her to wait to let her food settle before going into the water. But shortly afterwards, Lucy insisted on going for a swim. She entered the water with a friend around 1pm and had agreed to meet her mother back at the pier a short time later. When she had not returned as planned, her mother contacted police at 2.22pm. Despite searches for the teenager lasting more than three hours, rescuers found her later that evening. She was airlifted to Hull Royal Infirmary but was pronounced dead, the inquest at Grimsby Town Hall heard. A post-mortem examination by Dr Justin Cooke, a pathologist in Hull, concluded that Lucy had died from asphyxia after inhaling gastric contents as she struggled to find safety in the deep water, with a falling tide pulling her further away. Paul Smith, the Greater Lincolnshire senior coroner, ruled that her death was by misadventure and 'the unintended consequence of her swimming on a full stomach'. He added the post mortem examination confirmed she had not drowned, and highlighted the dangers of going into water after eating a substantial meal. In his record of inquest, he said: 'Lucy Alexandra Reed died on June 24 2023 in the River Humber at Cleethorpes as a consequence of asphyxiation. She had travelled to the coast for a day trip. She ate a substantial lunch and shortly thereafter went into the shallow water. 'The tide was falling and they rapidly found themselves out of their depth and drifting away from the shore. Neither were strong swimmers. After she had been in the water for approximately 30 minutes as Lucy tried to swim towards a point at which she could stand, she vomited, inhaling her gastric contents and losing consciousness. 'Although her death was not formally confirmed for several hours, on balance of probability it occurred within minutes of the incident described above.' Dangers of the high tide He said the two friends were not strong swimmers, and were fighting an outgoing tide. The friend reached safety. Lucy had been in the water for about 30 to 40 minutes by that time, which was estimated to be around 1.15pm. Mr Smith said 'it is clear much was going on behind the scenes to locate her', but that the beach and waterside were busy. He explained that at 3.51pm The Coastguard Inshore Lifeboat was launched and the crew searched on either side of The Pier, a further search commenced at 4.35pm. After 5pm, information passed to Humberside Police indicated a new search area, where Lucy was found and winched into the air sea rescue helicopter, CPR was administered her death was confirmed at the hospital. The senior coroner said The Coastguard and Beach Safety staff had received a total of 22 Missing Person Alerts within the same time in which Lucy was missing. Humberside Police had a similar volume of reports of missing people. Around £1,000 was raised for the RNLI in memory of Lucy and her family and friends set up an appeal. A spokesman for The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: 'Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by the tragic events of 24 June 2023.' The spokesman said: 'Incoming tides don't just come in from out at sea – they can also sneak up behind you and cut off your exit route, leaving you stranded and in danger. 'By knowing when it's high and low tide, you can make sure you'll get back in plenty of time without putting yourself at risk.' Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
01-08-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Girl, 15, died from asphyxiation after eating pizza and chips and going swimming, inquest hears
A teenage girl died from oxygen deprivation after eating pizza and chips then going swimming, an inquest has heard. Lucy Reed, 15, went to Cleethorpes for a day trip with her mother Liz and a friend when the tragic incident struck in June 2023. They went for an early lunch at a local restaurant and her mother urged her to wait a while to allow her food to settle before going in for a swim. But shortly after she insisted on going for a swim before boarding the coach home. Lucy went with her friend near Cleethorpes Pier while her mother went for a walk. They had arranged to meet back near the pier a short time later. But when she failed to turn up, a major search and rescue operation was launched for Lucy, from Gainsborough, after her mother alerted authorities and called 999. Rescuers found her later in the evening after more than three hours of searching. She was airlifted to Hull Royal Infirmary but was sadly pronounced dead, the inquest at Grimsby Town Hall heard. Greater Lincolnshire senior coroner Paul Smith said her death was 'the unintended consequence of her swimming on a full stomach.' A post mortem examination by pathologist, Dr Justin Cooke at Hull concluded Lucy died from asphyxia after inhaling gastric contents as she struggled to find safety in the deep water with a falling tide pulling her further away from safety. She had struggled to reach the shore and vomitted, then inhaling the contents and passing out. The coroner concluded after a two-day hearing that her death was by misadventure. In his record of inquest, he added: 'Lucy Alexandra Reed died on 24 June 2023 in the River Humber at Cleethorpes as a consequence of asphyxiation. She had travelled to the coast for a day trip. She ate a substantial lunch and shortly thereafter went into the shallow water.' He added: 'The tide was falling and they rapidly found themselves out of their depth and drifting away from the shore. Neither were strong swimmers. After she had been in the water for approximately 30 minutes as Lucy tried to swim towards a point at which she could stand, she vomited, inhaling her gastric contents and losing consciousness. 'Although her death was not formally confirmed for several hours, on balance of probability it occurred within minutes of the incident described above. It was the unintended consequence of her swimming on a full stomach.' His conclusion highlighted the dangers of going into water after eating a substantial meal. After police checks as part of missing person procedures, the coastguard was alerted at 3.15pm. Beach Safety staff and Humberside Police carried out land-based searches. Mr Smith said: 'It is clear much was going on behind the scenes to locate her.' He said Lucy had ventured out of her depth in the water. Cleethorpes beach and waterside were busy, the coroner said. At 3.51pm The Coastguard Inshore Lifeboat was launched and the crew searched 500 metres on either side of The Pier. After an unsuccessful search a further search was commenced at 4.35pm. Rescuers attempted to establish the flow of water impacted by the wind, tide and weather conditions on the potential location of the teenager. The senior coroner said he accepted a Coastguard report which said looking out in the river without knowing where to look would have been futile. He said rescuers searched for more than three hours unsuccessfully. Mr Smith said at around 5pm information was passed to Humberside Police from a member of the public, who recalled seeing someone in difficulty about 600 metres off the beach at 2pm. The new information suggested a new search area further out into the river. The all-weather Coastguard Lifeboat was launched from Grimsby Docks, the inquest heard. 'Almost immediately she was found and was winched into the helicopter. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) was given on the flight. But sadly her death was confirmed at the hospital,' said Mr Smith. He added the post mortem examination confirmed she had not drowned. But after eating a substantial meal before swimming, she had vomited and inhaled the contents of her stomach. The salt water may have been a contributory factor. He said the two friends were not strong swimmers fighting an out-going tide, but the friend managed to reach safety. Lucy had been in the water about 30 to 40 minutes by that time - an hour before a missing person report was launched. Mr Smith said: 'At 15 years, Lucy should have been safe and old enough to keep safe.' The senior coroner said The Coastguard and Beach Safety staff had received a total of 22 Missing Person Alerts within the same time in which Lucy was missing. Humberside Police had a similar volume of reports of missing people. 'An earlier search would not have lessened any delay,' said Mr Smith. He added: 'Her death resulted due to getting out of her depth and being taken deeper by the tide and she was unable to get back to dry land. She was in distress and as a result she aspirated. Her death was due to misadventure.' The senior coroner thanked The Coastguard for the quality and clarity of their evidence in reports and statements. To Lucy's mother, he said he could not imagine how the past two years since the tragedy had been for her and her family. 'After many years in my role, the fact never leaves me that there is nothing that I say will take away the heartache you go through. The best I can do is offer a wish that time gives you some relief.' After the hearing, a spokesman for The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: 'Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by the tragic events of 24 June 2023. 'Incoming tides don't just come in from out at sea - they can also sneak up behind you and cut off your exit route, leaving you stranded and in danger. By knowing when it's high and low tide, you can make sure you'll get back in plenty of time without putting yourself at risk.' Around £1,000 was raised for the RNLI in memory of Lucy and her family and friends set up an appeal. For guidance on staying safe by the coast, visit
The Independent
14-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Cause of private jet crash that flew over Washington DC and killed four finally revealed
A lack of oxygen likely incapacitated the pilot and three passengers of a private jet that flew over Washington DC in 2023, triggering a military response, a final report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has revealed. The incident, which saw fighter jets scrambled to intercept the unresponsive aircraft, was likely caused by a loss of cabin pressure, according to the NTSB's findings released Tuesday. While the precise reason for the pressure loss remains undetermined, investigators highlighted several maintenance issues with the Cessna Citation jet. These included a missing pilot-side oxygen mask and supplemental oxygen levels at their minimum serviceable limit. The report indicates that these factors contributed to the oxygen deprivation that ultimately incapacitated those on board. 'At that level, oxygen would not have been available to the airplane occupants and passenger oxygen masks would not have deployed in the event of a loss of pressurization,' according to the report. It concluded that, 'Contributing to the accident was the pilot's and owner/operator's decision to operate the airplane without supplemental oxygen.' Four people died in the June 4, 2023 accident. They were pilot Jeff Hefner, 69; New York real estate broker Adina Azarian, 49; Azarian's 2-year-old daughter Aria; and Evadnie Smith, 56, who worked as live-in nanny for Aria. Prior to the crash, Azarian, Aria and Smith were in North Carolina to visit Azarian's adoptive parents. Hefner stopped responding to air traffic control instructions within minutes of taking off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, at 1:13 p.m. The plane flew to New York, near its destination at Long Island's MacArthur Airport. Inexplicably, the plane then turned around and flew a straight path over D.C. Fighter jets sent after it caused a loud sonic boom that was heard across the capital region as they raced to catch up. The plane then plunged almost straight down in into a mountain near Montebello, Virginia, and burst into flames at 3:23 p.m. Fighter pilots tasked with intercepting the wayward flight said Hefner 'was laying and slumped completely over into the right seat and remained motionless throughout their observations,' according to NTSB records. They did not observe any movement within the cabin area nor any shapes that resembled a person. Lack of oxygen, called hypoxia, can affect people differently, but it is known to cause confusion, disorientation, and diminished judgment and reactions, according to the report. A pilot would likely have between 30 seconds and 2 minutes to take corrective action. That time could be less if the depressurization is rapid. 'However, gradual depressurization can be as dangerous or more dangerous than rapid depressurization because of its potential to insidiously impair a pilot's ability to recognize and respond to the developing emergency,' according to the report. 'Cognitive impairment from hypoxia makes it harder for affected individuals to recognize their own impairment.' The report noted that Hefner had several health issues and had been prescribed at least one medication that was potentially impairing but did not list those issues as contributing to the accident.
