A father who fell asleep with his 10-month-old son on his chest woke to find the baby face down on the bed not breathing, an inquest has heard. James Heron had been giving his son Phineas an early morning bottle before the pair both fell asleep while in bed.
Emotional Testimony
Wiping away tears, James told Winchester Coroners' Court that when he woke up at around 7:30am, Phineas was 'on the side where my wife would sleep, face down, not breathing'. With his wife at work, James went to get help from his father, with whom he lived in Ringwood, and rushed into his room, 'concerned and panicked with [Phineas] in his arms lifeless'.
Attempts to Revive
In a statement, Jeremy Heron, James' father, said he had heard Phineas crying just half an hour before. Jeremy immediately started CPR and was helped by a neighbour, who was a nurse, but they could not get the baby breathing again. An ambulance 'arrived in minutes' and Phineas, who had suffered a cardiac arrest, was taken to Royal Bournemouth Hospital, where it was found he had a faint heartbeat.
However, doctors estimated he had been without oxygen for around one hour and 45 minutes, and was declared dead at 10:20am on September 7, 2024. At an inquest hearing at Winchester Coroners' Court, Coroner Jason Pegg ruled Phineas' death an accident.
Healthy That Morning
Holding his wife's hand tightly, James said that Phineas had seemed healthy that morning. In a statement, he said he was 'active and hungry' and just had a 'little cough'. James said there was a pillow and a blanket on the bed, and he believed that Phineas may have been 'looking for his mother', who was normally on the side where he was found.
A post-mortem was unable to ascertain a cause of death, although the pathologist said it could have been 'sleep related'. Phineas' parents described him as having a 'cheeky personality' and being fond of 'climbing everything'. They said he was a 'happy baby who loved his big sister enormously'.
Coroner's Ruling
Coroner Jason Pegg ruled Phineas' death an accident, saying: 'It is quite clear to me that he was a very much loved little boy who sadly wasn't with you as long as you would have hoped.' Talking to James, he said: 'He fell asleep on the safety of your chest and accidentally rolled off your chest, and regrettably fell face down.' He said it was likely that the baby was 'smothered by the pillow, causing him to pass away'.
'It was a dreadful accident. Despite the best efforts of Mr Heron and the nurse, his brain was starved of oxygen and his chances of a good recovery were sadly diminished.' He added that he was 'sure' that Phineas' parents had 'some very fond memories of him' and he hoped they would 'treasure those memories'.
