The family of a seemingly healthy 37-year-old father are grappling with an unbearable loss after he collapsed and died without warning, just hours after enjoying a 'perfect' family day out in Skegness.
Lee Briggs, a dad described as fit and active, returned home to Boston, Lincolnshire, after a happy day at the seaside with his partner and children on July 2nd last year. Tragically, he was found unresponsive later that evening and could not be revived.
An inquest into his death at Lincoln Coroner's Court heard conflicting medical opinions, deepening the mystery and the family's anguish. A post-mortem examination initially suggested Lee died from bronchopneumonia. However, this was fiercely contested by his grieving family, who insist he had shown no signs of being unwell.
His heartbroken partner, Jodie Smyth, provided a poignant statement read to the court. She described their idyllic final day together, stating Lee was "his usual happy, joking self" as they walked along the beach and enjoyed dinner. "It was a perfect day," she said.
Later that night, Jodie awoke to the sound of Lee struggling to breathe. Despite her desperate attempts and the rapid response of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The medical evidence presented was starkly contradictory. Dr. David Shiers, who performed the autopsy, maintained his finding that bronchopneumonia was the cause. Conversely, Consultant Pathologist Dr. Michael Biggs reviewed the case and found no evidence of significant pneumonia, suggesting a sudden natural death, potentially from a cardiac arrhythmia.
This leaves Lee's family in a torturous limbo, desperate for definitive answers about the tragedy that shattered their lives. Senior Coroner Paul Smith adjourned the inquest, requesting further information from Lee's GP to try and resolve the medical discrepancy.
The family's wait for closure continues, as the coroner seeks more evidence before reaching a conclusion.
