AN 80-YEAR-OLD man from Newport died after falling down the stairs at his home while attempting to do a good turn for a family member, an inquest was told.
Ronald Owen Wright had been moving a wheelchair that was used by his wife from upstairs, so his son Christopher could use it for his wife.
At a hearing in Newport, senior coroner for Gwent David Bowen was told that Mr Wright had placed the wheelchair on a stairlift so he could more easily bring it down the stairs.
He was walking down beside it when he lost his footing and fell.
Mr Wright was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital after the incident, which happened on Wednesday, October 5, last year, just eight days before his 81st birthday. He died the following day.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Mr Wright’s death was caused by a fractured cervical spine, the injury being consistent with a fall. The coroner concluded Mr Wright’s death was accidental.
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