Posted by Graham Millgian on 2/12/2008, 12:59 pm, in reply to "Re: Calling Mr. Frank - quick question"
125.238.85.56
Thanks for that sad news Frank. We have been in communication and sending Andrew seed for at least 15 years.We spoke at least once a year on the phone and we would have wondered what had happened to him. Thanks again Frank.
News item as follows:
A verdict of accidental death has been recorded on a man who plunged to his death from a home-made steel and rope zip slide.
Andrew McConnell, 56, spent eight months building the 300m (984ft) long slide, fixed between two trees at Carrog, Flintshire.
The coroner said Mr McConnell was conscious of the safety implications before the "terrible tragedy". He died of a chest injury after his ribs punctured his lung. The inquest heard that the accident on 7 May happened less than two months before Mr McConnell, who had a baby son, was due to marry.
His fiancée, Rachelle Galliard, told the inquest that she was unhappy that he wanted to try out the slide. "I did not think it was a good idea. I did not think it was safe."
Mr McConnell had put on a harness, which was fastened to a short pole. This in turn was connected to an eight inch steel box. But when he tried the slide, the metal box became dislodged from the rope, the inquest was told. He stopped and swung like a pendulum on a bend, two pins gave way and he fell 30ft to the ground.
An air ambulance flew Mr McConnell to Wrexham Maelor Hospital but he was found to be dead on arrival.
North east Wales coroner John Hughes said it was "a terrible tragedy".
He said it was clear that Mr McConnell, who owned a eucalyptus tree nursery, was very conscious of the safety aspects of the project. On the day of the fatal fall, he had completed a series of test runs using heavy weights and a friend Peter Stead, also of Corwen, tried it out without any difficulty and found it exhilarating.
"The designer and maker wanted to try it and there was a catastrophe on the way down," Mr Hughes explained
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