The death of a pensioner who fell asleep in his mobility scooter and drove off of a seafront promenade has prompted a coroner to warn about “future loss of life”.
John Gray, 76, suffered multiple rib fractures after driving off the promenade without a barrier at Felixstowe Beach in Suffolk and falling “several feet” on to the sand below.
Mr Gray died in hospital from respiratory failure on 13 July 2022, four days after the incident.
Safety concerns have since been raised due to the demographics of the area, with the coroner citing a lack of preventative measures.
Suffolk’s senior coroner Nigel Parsley wrote to East Suffolk Council, airing concerns there could be similar falls in the future without a barrier or warning signs in place, given the high number of mobility scooters in the area.
Mr Parsley said the court acknowledged that “individuals on mobility scooters were known to regularly access and use the promenade”.
He said the demographics of the local area meant the use of mobility scooters on the promenade “may increase in the future”.
Mr Parsley said evidence had been heard from a mobility scooter supplier and engineer, who explained that falling asleep on a mobility scooter was not uncommon, and happened more frequently than the general public might think.
He added: “The supplier explained that this often led to accidents, leading to damage to the mobility scooters, which required repair.
“I am therefore concerned that falls from the promenade on to the beach, in areas where there is no barrier, would occur again in similar circumstances, as the current signage and markings provide no warning to an individual asleep on their mobility scooter.
“If this were to occur (as in this case) in an area where the height of drop from the edge of the promenade to the sand was greater than normally expected, I am concerned this would lead to future loss of life.”
The coroner wrote, in a prevention of future deaths report, that Mr Gray fell “approximately five feet” which led to his death.
Mr Parsley said: “The court was told that, at a number of locations, the height from the edge of the promenade to the sand was prone to change, and a system was in place to monitor this.
“It was however, acknowledged, that unusual high tide conditions, and/or weather activity could significantly change the drop height in a short period of time.
“Evidence heard that at high-risk locations, such as areas with persistent long drops, drops on to concrete, or drops on to rock sea defences, permanent barriers were installed.
“In other areas signage and/or painted markings were used to highlight the risks of a potential fall.”
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East Suffolk Council must respond to the report by 15 March.
The council told Sky News: “We welcome the report from the coroner, which we will respond to in full, and our thoughts are with those close to Mr Gray following this tragic accident.
“We continually review all risk assessments for land which the council is responsible for, and we are identifying what further appropriate measures should be put in place to help ensure the safety of all users of the promenade.”
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