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Woman killed by broken sofa bed
A 39-year-old woman in the UK was suffocated by a faulty ottoman bed mechanism. Experts warn of similar dangers. Read more about this tragic incident.
Woman killed by broken sofa bed
A 39-year-old British woman was killed when a defective ottoman bed fell on her neck and suffocated her, a coroner's report shows.
Accident in a bedroom
Helen Davey, the one in the North East England who lived and ran a beauty salon, died in June while leaning over the storage space of a gas-lift-style ottoman bed, coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said in his recently released report.
Ottoman Bed Details
Ottoman beds are equipped with a lifting device that allows access to a storage space underneath. They are a popular choice for households looking to keep bedding or seasonal clothing out of sight.
Cause of the accident
The mattress platform on Davey's bed unexpectedly fell and "trapped her neck against the top surface of the side panel of the bed foundation," Chipperfield explained. "Unable to free herself, she died of positional asphyxia. One of the two gas lift pistons was defective."
The tragic end
Davey was found by her daughter Elizabeth, according to a statement read out in court and reported by the local newspaper The Northern Echo was reported.
"I went upstairs, the door to my mother's bedroom was wide open and I saw her lying on her back with her head under the bed," Elizabeth told the court. "Her legs were drawn up as if she was trying to get up. I dropped everything I had in my hand and tried to lift the top of the bed off her head. The bed no longer closed smoothly and could have fallen heavily if it was let go. It was so hard for me to lift it and pull her out. I managed to lift it enough to use my foot to support it."
Criticism of security precautions
"I noticed her face was blue with a clear dent on her neck from the frame. I managed to free her. I was afraid she was dead as she wasn't making any noise. I started CPR and found she wasn't breathing," she further said.
Coroner's warning
In a letter to Britain's Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, Chipperfield warned there was a risk of future deaths "unless action is taken." He highlighted the “existence and use of gas pressure bed mechanisms, the failure of which poses a risk to life”, which should be viewed as “worrying”.
Under UK law, coroners must inform relevant organizations or government agencies if they believe action should be taken to prevent future deaths.