Burnley dad's fight to save choking baby

8:17pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A FATHER told an inquest of the harrowing moment he tried to resuscitate his 'lifeless' baby who had swallowed a plastic toy.

One-year-old Benjamin Hazelwood of Florence Avenue, Burnley, was found after a fireman toy became lodged in his mouth in November last year.

His father, Neil Hazelwood, who had completed basic first aid training, tried to resuscitate his son but was unsuccessful.

Coroner Richard Taylor returned a verdict of accidental death.

After the hearing Mr Hazelwood said: "Don't be a fool like me, read the instructions.

"If it says it's not suitable for an under 36 months old child then it isn't."

Mr Hazelwood had earlier told the inquest that Benjamin, who had only turned one 11 days before, had been crawling towards the toy box while he was playing with his three-year-old son Peter.

He said: "It was when Peter crawled over Benjamin and he didn't move.

"That's when I noticed he wasn't right so I picked him up and I could see a toy fireman in his throat and couldn't pull it out.

"I couldn't get it out. I was pulling and pulling, so I screamed and shouted for Jane and she was screaming.

"I phoned the 999 people and I was talking to the lady on the phone. I did what she told me to do and the plastic toy came out and I chucked it in the toy box."

Dr Melanie Newbold, a consultant paediatric pathologist at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, said there were no signs of natural diseases and concluded that the baby had died of "asphyxiation due to a foreign object."

Coroner Richard Taylor said: "I hear a story of a healthy young boy of just 12 months old, who was playing normally in the presence of his father, who clearly suspects nothing untoward when Benjamin is crawling across the floor and is clearly attracted by the toy.

"He picked it up and put it in his mouth and that was fatal.

"A very simple verdict I will return is one of accidental death.

"There is nothing anyone could do about it. Mr Hazelwood did everything that he could."