An 85-year-old dad choked to death on a piece of meat during a family meal at a carvery, an inquest heard. Widower Keith Foster was enjoying a carvery with his son on Thursday, July 2 when he started "dribbling and turning pale."
Staff and air ambulance response
Staff at The Newbridge, in Tettenhall Road, Wolverhampton, quickly rushed to his aid in an attempt to clear his airways after realising the pensioner had "got into difficulty" swallowing meat, but failed. An air ambulance crew attended and used forceps to yank the meat from his throat, but despite their best efforts Mr Foster died.
Black Country Coroner's Court heard how it became apparent that Mr Foster was choking while having a meal with his son, so staff gave him abdominal thrusts and back slaps, but they "didn't seem to work." - reports Birmingham Live.
Paramedics and post mortem
When paramedics arrived, Mr Foster was at the back of the pub, near the carvery table. The pensioner, who lived in Lauderdale Gardens, Bushbury, was pale, had blue lips and was in cardiac arrest. The court heard how advanced life support was being administered by paramedics when Midlands Air Ambulance arrived at the scene.
Area Coroner Joanne Lees said: "The air ambulance reported that forceps were used to clear Mr Foster's airway and what is described as a piece of meat was extracted."
Mr Foster couldn't be resuscitated and was confirmed dead at the pub. A post mortem established Mr Foster's cause of death as asphyxia caused by choking on food, contributed in part by old age and ischemic heart disease.
Family statement and conclusion
In a statement, Mr Foster's son said his dad was an "independent" man who was "still driving" and had lived alone since the death of his wife. He "did have medical problems but no specific swallowing issues," the son said.
Mrs Lees told the court: "The only thing that Mr Foster's son reported to my coroner's officer that he could think of was that Mr Foster did not have many teeth. Although it's clear that a foreign body was extracted from Mr Foster's airways, no obstruction was found during the post mortem."
She said she was satisfied Mr Foster died during an "unintended consequence of an ordinary activity" and recorded a conclusion of accidental death on Wednesday, July 29.
