Christchurch man Ryan McDonnell died as a result of near-drowning accident as toddler
A man who nearly drowned as a toddler died as a result of the accident 34 years later, a coroner has ruled.
Ryan Philip McDonnell (36) had been taken to a play park when he was two years and eight months old by his mother Jane.
She was with other mothers at the park in Birmingham, where she lived at the time, and had left her son briefly with them while she went to fetch him a drink from a café nearby.
Reading from a statement, assistant coroner Richard Middleton said the children’s play area had two gates that were not locked.
When Ryan’s mother returned she realised her son was missing and after a search he was found “submerged” in a lake.
He had “nearly drowned and was rescued” but his brain was starved of oxygen and he was left with severe cerebral palsy.
Ryan was unable to speak, feed, or care for himself, an inquest at Bournemouth Coroners’ Court heard.
His family moved to Rivermead Gardens, Christchurch, where he had 24 hour round the clock care.
His mum said Ryan, who was also quadriplegic, suffered epilepsy and had sclerosis, “enjoyed listening to music and watching his star projector“.
In the middle of June this year Ryan developed a chest infection and his oxygen levels dropped. He was given antibiotics but worsened, and was later taken to hospital.
Although he had “good and bad” days his condition deteriorated and his family were told that nothing more could be done for him. He returned home, where he died on 25th June.
Mr Middleton said cause of death was due to lower respiratory tract infection, but added that what “sadly led” to Ryan’s death was his accident three decades earlier.
He said this had resulted in a “chain of causal” events including his sclerosis and brain injury which had exacerbated his chest infection.
Mr Middleton said that although 34 years had elapsed in time between the incident in Birmingham and his death, “if he had not fallen into the lake and suffered the injuries he did he would not have died on 25th June”.
He said Ryan had “never fully recovered” from the “near drowning”, and ruled his death was an accident.
