Stablehand, 49, was crushed to death when straw bale fell on her as she fed horses at farm pony trekking centre, inquest hears
- Julie Ann Parry had been feeding horses when a half-ton bale of straw fell on her
- The 49-year-old called for help from other staff at Bwlchgwyn Farm, North Wales
- They found her trapped and began CPR after they removed the bale of straw
- Despite the best efforts of medics she died three days later at hospital in Bangor
- An inquest heard the bales were stacked in a ‘safe’ manner by the farm’s owner
A stablehand was crushed to death a straw bale fell on her as she fed horses at a pony trekking centre, an inquest has heard.
Julie Ann Parry died after a half-ton bale fell eight feet onto her while she was hand tending to animals at Bwlchgwyn Farm, in Arthog, North Wales.
The 49-year-old animal lover desperately phoned for help to the farmhouse after the incident in January 2018.
She was airlifted to hospital in Bangor 50 miles away after being found by other members of staff, but she tragically died three days later from chest injuries.
A jury at an inquest into her death in Caernarfon has now returned a verdict of death by misadventure, while her father said it was ‘just a very, very unfortunate accident’.
Stuart Eves told the coroner: ‘The family as a whole in no way hold Bwlchgwyn in error.’
Julie Ann Parry was crushed to death after a half-ton bale of straw fell on her while she was feeding horses
The 49-year-old called for help from colleagues, who found her pinned by the object and with no pulse
Julie, who worked with horses years, was airlifted to hospital in Bangor but sadly died three days later
It was revealed that after her death, Julie’s organs were donated to three other seriously ill patients.
Mr Eves added: ‘The loss of my daughter saved the life of three other people and knowing that means she did not die in vain.
‘The care and compassion they showed to her at the scene and later at the hospital was fantastic. She couldn’t have gotten better care.’
Julie, who was from the nearby seaside village of Fairbourne, had worked with horses for years.
Gemma Evans, owner of the farm with her husband John, said she had been ‘very experienced and knowledgeable’.
She told the coroner she had been in the kitchen in the farmhouse at lunchtime when someone phoned the landline.
Mrs Evans said: ‘The voice was very distorted. We couldn’t understand what was being said.’
When the number in question was typed into a mobile phone workers at the farm realised it was from Julie.
The Evans’ daughter, Imogen, said she and others rushed to the horse barn: ‘We were running, looking for her, shouting.’
A colleague found her standing up but pinned in a gap between two bales.
The incident took place at Bwlchgwyn Farm (pictured) at Arthog, North Wales, in January 2018
Julia’s father, Stuart Eves, told the court that what happened was ‘just a very, very unfortunate accident’
A jury at the inquest in Caernarfon returned a conclusion of death by misadventure
Rhydian Evans, a farrier at the farm, said the bale was removed but she had no pulse, so he began CPR.
She was rushed to Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor, but died three days later, with a post mortem examination revealing a severe crush injury to the chest.
Mr Evans told the inquest the bales in question weighed up to half a ton and had been stacked in a ‘safe’ manner in small piles. The stack in question was eight to ten feet high, he added.
The Health and Safety Executive regarded the stack as ‘stable.’
North West Wales acting senior coroner Katie Sutherland told the jury : ‘We are not seeking to apportion any blame.’
She said: ‘It’s not known what Julie was doing immediately before she became trapped.’
She recorded the conclusion as death by misadventure.
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