An elderly Wexford man suffered fatal burn injuries after spilling a pot of boiling water over his chest, an inquest has heard.
A sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard John Roche (86) died at St James’s Hospital in Dublin on December 29, 2019 two weeks after the incident in the kitchen of his home.
A post-mortem revealed Mr Roche, a father of four from Knocknasillogue, Blackwater, Co Wexford died from bronchial pneumonia which he had contracted as a result of severe scalding to his body.
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A consultant plastic surgeon, Kevin Cahill, who treated the deceased in the burns unit of St James’s Hospital, said he had suffered burns to at least 20% of his body.
Dr Cahill said some injuries which had initially appeared less severe were actually full-thickness burns.
While Mr Roche had received a number of skin grafts and appeared to be recovering well, the inquest heard he subsequently deteriorated after becoming infected with pneumonia.
Mr Roche’s widow, Eileen told the coroner, Cróna Gallagher, that they had been in the kitchen of their home on December 14, 2019.
Ms Roche said her husband, who suffered from dementia and an irregular heartbeat, needed constant care and attention and would not be involved in doing any work in their kitchen.
She described how her husband was sitting in an armchair of the kitchen with a pot of boiled water simmering on the stove as she went outside to feed her cats.
Ms Roche said she next heard him moaning and rushed in to find him lying on the floor in a pool of water with a lot of steam coming from his body.
She said he remarked: “Look at what I’ve done to myself.”
Ms Roche said she tried to drag him away from the water but he was too heavy so she called one of her sons who lived nearby.
One of the couple’s sons, John Roche, said his father was in shock after the accident.
He was brought to Wexford General Hospital and transferred later to St James’s Hospital for specialist care.
Returning a verdict of accidental death, Dr Gallagher said it was an unfortunate accident that could not have been predicted or prevented.
“While the dementia might have affected his judgement, it could have happened to anyone,” the coroner remarked.
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