A mother of two has tragically died after her ottoman-style bed collapsed on her head.
Helen Davey, 39, suffocated from positional asphyxia after the faulty ottoman trapped her neck against the upper surface of the bed base’s side panel.
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These beds are popular because they can be raised to allow for storage underneath.
An inquest into the freak accident at Crook Coroners’ Court found that one of the two gas piston mechanisms of Helen’s bed was defective.
Jeremy Chipperfield, senior coroner for Durham and Darlington, previously shared his concerns about these faulty beds with the Office for Product Standards at the Department for Business and Trade.
In his corner’s report, he wrote:
“The deceased was leaning over the storage area of an Ottoman-styled ‘gas-lift bed’ when the mattress platform descended unexpectedly, trapping her neck against the upper surface of the side panel of the bed’s base. Unable to free herself, she died of positional asphyxia.”
Positional asphyxia is a form of asphyxia that occurs when a position prevents a person from breathing properly.
The mother and beauty salon owner was found in her Seaham, County Durham home by her 19-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who goes by Betty.
Betty had only been gone for a few hours for a hair appointment when she came home to find the tragic aftermath. Betty shared her statement to the Crook Coroners Court.
“I went upstairs, my mam’s bedroom door was wide open, and I saw her lying on her back with her head under the bed,” Betty said. “Her legs were bent as if she was trying to get up. I dropped everything that I was holding and tried to lift the top of the bed off her head,” she continued.
She added that the bed was “no longer a soft close” and could easily fall.
“It was so heavy for me to lift it up and try to pull her out. I managed to lift it up enough to use my foot to support it,” she said.
When she managed to free her mother, her face was blue and she didn’t have a pulse. Paramedics arrived on the scene but were unable to resuscitate her.
While a toxicologist found alcohol in Helen’s system at the time of her death, it is believed not to have played a factor.
Betty shared an emotional tribute to her mother on Facebook.
“No words would ever describe how we are feeling,” she said. “I can’t even begin to process that it’s real and your (sic) not just going to walk through the door,” she wrote.
She continued: “Mine and George’s best friend from day one, I will always wish we had more time together and that you were still by our side supporting us through everything as always. I hope you know how much I love you and that I’d do anything for one more cuddle. Until we meet again my angel.”
