A woman died trying to save her partner after they were both accidentally overcome by carbon monoxide. William Reid, 67, and Kathryn Workman, 70, were trying to reverse their classic Mercedes into a protective plastic bag in their garage.
However, while backing it up Mr Reid was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes – which is odourless – and became unconscious, an inquest heard.
The couple were classic car enthusiasts (Picture: Times & Star /SWNS)
Ms Workman entered the bag to help her partner but was also affected by the fumes, although she managed to crawl back out and call emergency services.
She was initially told to keep away from the area by a call handler due to the risk of carbon monoxide intoxication. While Mrs Workman was on the phone, confusion about what was happening in the garage led to the operator then advising her to get as near as possible to her partner and try to treat him.
She tried to wake Mr Reid but was unable to and shortly after stopped responding on the call, an inquest heard. North West Ambulance Service paramedic Ben Sayner was first on the scene near the couple’s High Seaton home following a dispatch at around 12pm on October 22, 2017.
Both died from carbon monoxide poisoning after reversing a classic Mercedes Benz into a protective plastic bag (Picture: Times & Star /SWNS)
The two-day inquest in Cockermouth, Cumbria, heard he and his partner ripped open the bag, but had to run back out because of the strong smell of fumes. Paramedics opened as many doors as they could before going back into the garage to rescue Ms Workman, although Mr Reid was deemed to be too far into the bag to reach without breathing equipment.
Mrs Workman suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be taken by ambulance to hospital but died two days later. It was not until the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service arrived that emergency services could get to Mr Reid, who was removed from the bag and treated but was pronounced dead at the scene at 1.13pm.
Post-mortems found Mr Reid had died from poisoning by carbon monoxide, while Mrs Workman died by hypoxic brain injury due to poisoning by carbon monoxide. Detective Sergeant Martin Hodgson, who investigated the incident for Cumbria Police, said the bag was one you would ‘definitely struggle’ to tear open. Coroner Simon Ward said Mrs Workman told the handler she was going back into the bag to help her partner of her own initiative.
He added: ‘I’m satisfied she would have still tried to help Mr Reid irrespective of the instructions of the call handler. ‘Mrs Workman was aware she may become unconscious. ‘My view is she would have still tried to help him and that’s a credit to her dedication to their relationship. ‘Mrs Workman would have done all she could to help Mr Reid irrespective of her own safety.’ Mr Ward concluded Mr Reid died as a result of an accident while recording a verdict of misadventure for Mrs Workman.
