English coroner issues warning over death of woman trapped in ottoman bed

A coroner has issued a caution regarding gas piston ottomans, indicating they may pose a life-threatening danger. This comes after the tragic death of a woman who was trapped when her bed fell on her, pinning her between the mattress and the frame.

An inquest revealed that Helen Davey, a 39-year-old mother of two from Seaham, County Durham, tragically passed away on June 7 after accidentally getting stuck in her bed and suffocating.

In a report classifying her death as accidental, Jeremy Chipperfield, the senior coroner for Durham and Darlington, reached out to government officials to alert them that more fatalities could happen if measures weren’t implemented to prevent them.

Davey, a beauty therapist who operated her business from her home in Seaham, was discovered by her 19-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, as reported by neighbors to MailOnline. She also leaves behind her 11-year-old son, George.

"I walked upstairs and noticed that my mom's bedroom door was completely open. When I looked in, I found her lying on her back with her head positioned underneath the bed," Elizabeth shared in a statement presented during the inquest at the Crook coroners court.

"Her legs were curled up as though she was attempting to stand. I set down everything in my hands and rushed to raise the bed frame away from her head," the quote, as shared by the Northern Echo, went on.

The bed had lost its gentle closing mechanism and could drop suddenly if let go. It was too heavy for me to lift entirely and pull her out. I was able to raise it enough to use my foot as a support.

"I observed that her face had turned blue, and there was a noticeable mark on her neck from the frame. I quickly pulled her away from it. I was afraid she might be dead because she wasn't making any noise. I began CPR and realized she wasn't breathing."

An ambulance was summoned, but the paramedics couldn't revive her, and Davey was declared dead at the location.

The police arrived later and discovered that one of the two pistons designed to assist in lifting the bed was faulty.

"There's no way to put into words what we are experiencing," Elizabeth, who goes by Betty, shared on Facebook a few days after the incident. "I can't even start to wrap my head around the fact that this is true, and you're not just going to come through the door."

From the very beginning, you were George's and my closest friend. I will always long for more moments with you and wish you were still here, cheering us on through everything, just like you always did.

"I want you to know just how much I care about you and that I would do anything for another warm hug. I'll be counting down the days until we’re together again, my darling."

"In a report aimed at preventing future incidents, Chipperfield described the tragic event: the individual was bending over the storage compartment of a gas-lift bed with an ottoman design when the mattress platform suddenly dropped, pinning her neck against the top edge of the bed's frame."

"She couldn't get free and ultimately suffocated due to her position. He also mentioned that one of the gas-lift pistons was faulty."

In the report, which was shared with the Secretary of State for Trade and Business as well as the Office for Product Safety and Standards, he cautioned that the malfunctioning of gas piston systems on these beds poses a serious safety hazard.