Roof death fall

Mar 13 2008 by Emma Davison, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A SON watched helplessly as his father fell to his death from a roof, an inquest heard.

Caley Hardcastle watched his father Brian die after toppling backwards from a ladder as he tried to help his son attach a TV aerial.

The inquest heard that Mr Hardcastle, of Longwood, had suffered from dizzy spells and breathlessness, was diabetic and had high blood-pressure.

Mr Hardcastle was retired, but was helping his son, an aerial rigger, at his work when he died on August 7 last year.

His son, who has his own business called Surefix Digital, said in a statement that he had noticed his dad getting tired and out of breath as they worked together on projects in the weeks before his death.

He said that on the day of his death, his father had been doing less physical work for him, but still appeared unwell after they completed a job in Bradford.

Mr Hardcastle’s accident happened as they worked on an office block near Holme Valley Memorial Hospital.

His son said he had told his father to stay on the ground while he completed the roof work.

He said: “I went to check the signal of the aerial, he told me he felt a bit funny and I left him sitting on a wall while I went back up to the roof.”

But Mr Hardcastle apparently climbed back up his ladder.

His son said: “The next thing I heard was a shout and I looked round to see him falling. His expression was blank, he made no attempt to grab on to the ladder or call out.

“I don’t know why he came up, I hadn’t needed his help.”

David Williams, who was working on the roof of the hospital, told in a statement how he saw Mr Hardcastle, 67, fall as he and his son installed the aerial.

He said: “Brian started to climb the ladder, he got right to the top then for no reason he fell backwards, he made no effort to steady himself.

“He must have fallen seven metres on to the pile of rubble below.”

A post-mortem examination found that the former aerial fitter suffered multiple fractures to his ribs and sternum in the fall.

Coroner Roger Whittaker said that although his severe injuries caused his death, his dizziness caused by heart problems added to his high blood pressure and diabetes made him fall.

Mr Whittaker recorded a verdict of accidental death.