An inquest was informed that a “fit and healthy” student died after collapsing and passing away late at night in a PureGym, where users had trouble getting a first aider’s attention because they were wearing headphones.
Inside 11:30 p.m., Henry Best passed out at the Bristol gym. When the paramedics arrived, they had trouble entering the structure and at first were unable to locate him.
The 21-year-old, who passed away from an undiagnosed cardiac problem, would not have likely been rescued even if paramedics had been at the scene more quickly, according to a coroner’s ruling.
On January 10 of this year, the “teetotal” and “active” music student had a heart arrest at the Harbourside location of the gym in Bristol.
Avon Coroner’s Court heard that the only employee there was a first aid-trained cleaner, but gym patrons were unable to locate him because he did not answer knocks on his door because he was using headphones and could not hear, as reported by the court.
Peter Harrowing, an assistant coroner, concluded that Mr. Best passed away naturally.
After a day and a half-long inquest, Dr. Harrowing declared that there was no need for a narrative conclusion.
And after hearing that PureGym had “learned lessons,” the coroner declared that he was not required to make recommendations to stop similar tragedies in the future.
Following a report into the disaster by Bristol City Council’s health and safety officers, the company changed the hours that its gyms are open in the evenings, albeit no enforcement action was taken against the facility.
Mr. Best was described as a teetotal, physically fit, healthy, and active music student who assisted in teaching swimming lessons to elementary school students and frequented the gym.
The coroner was told that Mr. Best passed out about an hour into working out at the gym with his girlfriend Holly Jones due to a pre-existing but undiagnosed cardiac disease.
Around 10:30 p.m. that night, the couple went to the gym together, and at about 11:30 p.m., Mr. Best passed out in a room on the fourth floor of the facility.
After the family voiced concerns regarding personnel, signage, and the ability for paramedics called to the site to access Mr. Best, PureGym and Mr. Best’s family were both represented at the inquest.
After being dispatched at 11:31 p.m., paramedics arrived outside the front of the gym at 11:35 p.m., but it took them another six minutes to reach him after they spent a little while getting equipment from the back of the ambulance.
A number of comments from other gym patrons who were present and made efforts to assist as well as from the paramedics themselves described the upsetting scenes inside the gym.
Miss Jones called 999 right away, followed the emergency call operators’ instructions, and performed CPR on Mr. Best for 10 minutes until the paramedics arrived, according to the inquest.
Two other gym patrons who were nearby at the time arrived to assist and then left to look for a staff member. The sole employee present at the time was a cleaner with first aid training.
There would have been signage up and tannoy announcements advising customers that PureGym is open at times when it is completely unstaffed.
