Kadie Hunt, 38, had been drinking at the Welback Manor and golf hotel in Sparkwell, Devon, with her cousin and friend when she tumbled off the bar stool and suffered a traumatic brain injury
A mum-of-two who fell off a high stool in a hotel bar initially “brushed it off” and refused help before she was found unresponsive the next morning and rushed to hospital where she died of a traumatic brain injury.
38-year-old Kadie Hunt fell off the bar stool at the boutique Welbeck Manor and golf hotel in Sparkwell, Devon, after an afternoon drinking with her cousin and friends. Kadie, who was a regular visitor to the hotel, was seen on CCTV consuming three pints of lager, a double gin and tonic and four glasses of wine over the course of the afternoon.
An inquest at Exeter Coroner’s Court heard that a member of staff had turned her back when she heard a crash and said Kadie had fallen off the stool and landed on her side, hitting her head on a marble fireplace. Now an inquest has heard that the injury she suffered to her head was fatal, but the selfless mum donated her organs so others could survive.
READ MORE: Mum and two children’s cause of deaths confirmed after horror house fireREAD MORE: Doncaster toddler drowned on Christmas Day after falling into pond, inquest hears
Kadie, who was born in Plymouth but lived in Sparkwell, refused any help to get up off the floor and seemed a bit embarrassed after the tumble, the coroner was told. The inquest heard that she did not appear to be hurt and “just brushed it off”, with a friend then taking her home with Kadie appearing fine, reports Plymouth Live
But the next morning Kadie was found unresponsive in her toilet at home with wounds to her face and an ambulance was called. She was rushed to a hospital in Plymouth, but her condition deteriorated and she died of a traumatic head injury.
The inquest heard Kadie drank heavily due to grief and “things going pear-shaped” but had been “chatty and coherent” at the bar. When she fell off the stool, she kept hold of her phone in one hand and “just brushed it off”, and staff said she did not appear to be hurt and felt it was just a “silly accident”.
CCTV from the hotel later revealed that “merry” Kadie appeared to stumble with an unsteady side step and struck her head on the marble fireplace surround. The cause of her death was ruled to be a traumatic brain bleed, consistent with the fall onto the hard surface.
At a previous hearing, the court was told the medical cause of death was given as “traumatic intracerebral haemorrhage with traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage” – a subtype of stroke with bleeding in the space that surrounds the brain. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances.
The area coroner for Devon, Alison Longhorn, said mortuary assistant Kadie drank heavily – up to 70 units a week – and was extremely drunk by the time of the fall. She recorded a conclusion of accidental death contributed to by alcohol intoxication.
Kadie’s mother, Shirley, 60, said her animal-loving daughter had not revealed she was on the organ donor register. Shortly after her daughter’s untimely death, Shirley said: “I want people to know how wonderful she was. She was loved by everybody, she had such a beautiful smile and she always helped everybody else.”
Shirley said her daughter has been “selfless” even in death. She added: “That is her legacy – even now with the donation of her organs. I want people to know what lives my daughter has saved, by donating her organs – she’s a hero.
“She donated everything, skin included, and what she’s done is amazing. Within 12 hours they were operating on her and organs for donation were removed. The donor people were just amazing, they were so special.”
Following her death, a spokesperson from the Welbeck Manor said: “Kadie was well known and liked by the whole team, we are deeply saddened by her passing, our thoughts are with her family and friends at this time.”
