A man tragically lost his life in Lancashire after his wheelchair caught fire near a gas heater. David Wilson passed away due to burns and smoke inhalation while his wife Karen attempted to rescue him but was unsuccessful.
David, who was wheelchair-bound and non-verbal, was working on his tractor in the garage of their Bacup home when the incident occurred. Karen had placed a gas heater in the garage, and although she had changed the gas cylinder earlier that day, it was not fully positioned under the bench, as reported by LancsLive.
After leaving David with his tractor for a brief period, Karen noticed smoke emanating from the garage about 45 minutes later. Despite her efforts to extinguish the fire and save David, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
An inquest held at Accrington Town Hall revealed that the fire ignited as David inadvertently moved his wheelchair too close to the gas heater. Tests conducted by Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service showed that even without contact, the wheelchair would have caught fire within seconds.
The inquest also disclosed a prior incident where David’s wheelchair had melted a tire when it was near the heater a few years ago. Despite relying on his wife for mobility assistance, David would occasionally attempt to move the wheelchair himself, possibly leading to the fatal accident.
The coroner mentioned concerns raised by David’s brother about the use of a bungee cord and the uneven garage flooring. The cause of David’s death was determined as accidental, resulting from smoke inhalation and burns. David’s family remembered him fondly for his character and love for music, expressing deep sorrow over his untimely passing.
