The son of an 83-year-old woman who drowned in her home during Storm Babet has called for increased investment in flood defences. Maureen Gilbert was found dead in her Chesterfield home after the River Rother overflowed on 21 October 2023.
An inquest at Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard that Gilbert died from drowning. Assistant Coroner Matthew Kewley expressed concern about ongoing risk to life at Tapton Terrace, where Gilbert lived, due to inadequate flood defences. He noted that elderly, vulnerable, or immobile residents remain at risk during future severe weather events.
Paul Gilbert, who discovered his mother's body, said more funding for flood defences could save lives. “More money does need to be invested in floods because this is something that obviously is going to keep happening,” he told reporters. He also emphasised the importance of dredging and cleaning rivers.
The inquest revealed that fire and rescue services attempted to rescue Gilbert but had to stop due to darkness. A request for reinspection the next morning was not processed because of a systems failure at Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service's control room. Paul Gilbert said he did not blame the services but wished he had not been the one to find his mother.
Coroner Kewley stated that it could not be determined that a reinspection would have changed the outcome. Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service Deputy Chief Fire Officer Clive Stanbrook offered condolences and confirmed that lessons have been learned, with investments made in systems and operational processes.
