A SLAITHWAITE man is still recovering from carbon monoxide poisoning which killed his girlfriend, an inquest into the tragedy heard.
Hazel Woodhams, 30, was in a tent at Clippesby Hall campsite near Great Yarmouth in July, when she died from carbon monoxide poisoning from a barbecue.
Her partner, 40-year-old Roland Wessling, suffered severe injuries and spent more than three weeks in the James Paget Hospital at Gorleston near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.
His injuries nearly resulted in him losing an arm due to the poisoning, which also damaged his kidneys.
An inquest held into Miss Woodhams’ death in Norwich heard the charcoal barbecue they had used to cook on filled their tent with toxic carbon monoxide gas overnight after they had brought it inside.
Mr Wessling woke up disorientated due to carbon monoxide poisoning and called the emergency services.
Norfolk coroner William Armstrong recorded a verdict of accidental death.
He said the tragedy should serve as a warning for people to keep barbecues in the open air.
He said he was going to raise the issue of safety warnings on barbecues with the Minister for Business Innovation and Skills to see if anything can be done to make people more aware of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Detective Inspector Marie James, Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, who led the investigation said: “This was a tragic accident for everyone involved. I hope this verdict brings some form of closure to Hazel’s family.”
Mr Wessling, who lived with his partner at Lewisham Road, Slaithwaite, prior to the tragedy, is a research fellow in forensic archaeology and anthropology at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire.
Miss Woodhams had worked for West Yorkshire police as a scenes of crime officer for two years.
