A 74-year-old woman from south Wales died after choking on steak at a restaurant in Spain while dining with her husband, an inquest has heard.
Incident Details
Ceri Ball, 74, from Rogerstone, Newport, died on Friday, October 17 last year while on holiday in Peñíscola, north of Valencia, where Ceri and Glyn Ball had a holiday home and regularly travelled to.
The inquest, held in writing at Gwent Coroners' Court, concluded the pensioner - described by her daughter as the "glue of the family" - died at the Vinaros Hospital in Peñíscola as a result of choking.
Mrs Ball's medical cause of death was given as part one, asphyxia from an upper airway obstruction caused by choking with food material.
Family's Account
Lisa Lisseman, one of Mrs Ball's daughters, described her mum as "the glue of the family." Recalling the tragic incident, she said: "They eventually got the food out but she had just been starved of oxygen for too long."
"They tried to keep her on machines overnight for me and my sister to get over to Spain and we didn’t make it. We are all in total agony. My mum was the glue of our family. She had such a kind heart and she was so proud of her family."
"She was, and is, adored by my dad. My mum was 17 when they met – they spent 57 years together and he is just lost now. They were soulmates. They had a relationship we all wanted to find – you wouldn't see one without the other."
Coroner's Findings
Coroner Caroline Saunders found that on October 16, 2025, Mr and Mrs Ball decided to go out for a meal at a local restaurant. Whilst eating, Mrs Ball started to choke.
Mr Ball took appropriate action to try to dislodge the food and called for assistance, before restaurant staff rushed to Mrs Ball's aid and paramedics were called to the scene.
Mrs Ball was resuscitated and conveyed to Vinaros Hospital where she received intensive support, but a lack of oxygen during the incident had caused irreparable brain damage and resulted in Mrs Ball's death the following day, on October 17, 2025.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that Mrs Ball had died from the effects of a bolus of food fatally obstructing her airways.
Aftermath
Following her death Ms Lisseman and her family had to reach out to The Repatriation Services Trust to get their mother's body home.
Ms Lisseman set up a GoFundMe in hope to raise £5,000 for the charity that helped them bear the burden of this tragic event.
