Father and son died carrying out 'good deed.'

9:12am Thursday 4th September 2008

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A father and son's attempt to do a 'good deed' by pumping out a flooded rugby club cellar led to them both dying from carbon monoxide fumes, a coroner ruled today.

Retired accountant Bramwell Lane, 64, and his son Chris, a 27 year old Severn Trent Water worker, died because they took a petrol driven pump down into the cellar of Tewkesbury Rugby Club, Glos, said Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore.

He recorded accidental death verdicts on the father and son, saying that their 'kindly' act had led to tragedy.

And he warned "This might be a good opportunity to remind the general public that carbon monoxide is an odourless gas which can have lethal consequences."

The inquest in Gloucester heard that Mr Lane was a tireless and committed supporter of the club, served as its treasurer and did many jobs around the clubhouse voluntarily.

The coroner described him as 'a loyal servant of Tewkesbury RFC."

It was on the night of July 25th last year - fiive days after the devastating deluge which hit Gloucestershire - that Mr Lane and his son perished when they put the borrowed Honda pump in the flooded cellar on top of beer crates.

Home Office pathologist said both died of carbon monoxide poisoning,. Bramell had a 64 percent saturation of carbon monoxide in his blood and Chris had a 72 percent saturation. Anything over 50 percent is regarded as lethal.

Giving evidence, Club vice chairman Philip Bourton broke down in tears as he told how, before leaving the clubhouse that night, he warned Bramwell Lane to be careful of the exhaust fumes from the pump.

Mr Bourton was so overcome with emotion that he was unable to complete reading his statement and the rest of it was read out by coroner's officer Paul Boak.

Mr Bourton said he had cycled to the clubhouse on the night of July 25th to see the extent of the flooding and had met Mr Lane and his son there with others.

He saw the Honda pump balanced on a piece of wood next to the cellar hatch, he said. It was tied to the wood to prevent it falling into the cellar.

"I could strongly smell the exhaust fumes being given off," he said. "I said 'Bloody Hell, Bram, that stinks. You be careful with them fumes' or something like that.

"I was aware the fumes were there and passed that sort of comment to Bram not in a flippant but a jovial sort of way."

"Bram responded 'We're fine, we've got the big doors open.'"

Mr Bourton said he left father and son at the clubhouse and got home at 9.45pm.

Next morning, he said, he discovered that Bram and Chris had been found dead in the cellar.

"I am shocked at what happened and I am asking myself what I could have done - they were both happy and fine..." his voice trailed off and he gulped back tears.

"I think this is a tragic accident," he said.

He said he believed they may have taken the pump down into the cellar to finish the job that night because they knew it had to be returned to club member David Randall, who had loaned it to them and needed it the next morning.

Club official Peter Bytheway said he had seen Bram and his son at the clubhouse on the night of 25th July and was surprised that Bram's car was still there the next morning.

He went to the club, looked down into the cellar and saw the pump totally submerged, he said.

"The water was right over the top of the pump. The water was higher than the previous evening.

"I shouted out to Bram but there was no reply so I feared the worst and telephoned police."

Retained firefighter Tim McVicker said he arrived at the club at 8.10am and went down into the cellar, which had 3 feet of floodwater in it.

The pump generator was on top of a couple of crates but was still under six inches of water, he said.

He then found the bodies of the two men floating in the water, he added.

His colleague, firefighter Peter Carter, said before going down into the cellar he and Mr McVicker donned breathing apparatus as they had been told there was a strong smell of petrol fumes and a suspicion of carbon monoxide being present.

The water in the cellar was waist deep, he said.

"We found two people. They were both lying on their sides with their faces in the water The older man was lying closer to the door.

"My first impression was that they were trying to help each other. I felt that the younger person had been there first and the older man had gone to help. I feel they were both overcome by the fumes.

"They both looked as if they had been fit and capable."

Recording his verdicts the coroner recalled how Tewkesbury had been badly hit by last July's floods and the rugby club cellar was flooded to a high level.

He was satisfied, he said, that having originally had the generator and pump by the hatch leading down into the cellar the father and son had at some point taken it below to ensure that the inlet pipe stayed underwater and did its job.

"The generator which had been in the bar area had been lowered on to the crates at the foot of the cellar stairs.

"I am satisfied from the evidence that the generator did not find its own way by accident onto the crates. It would have been too much of a co-incidence for that to happen.

"I am satisfied from the circumstntial evidence that the generator was actually placed on the crates by either Bramwell or Christopher or more likely as a result of discussion and agreement by both of them.

"I cannot say whether they both entered the cellar together or one after the other.

"I am quite satisfied that in attempting to do a good deed Bramwell and Christopher Lane exposed themselves to the danger of inhalation of carbon monoxide gas and in doing so they were overcome by that gas and were effectively poisoned to death by it."

Verdicts: Accidental deaths.