A 39-year-old British woman tragically lost her life when a defective ottoman bed mechanism malfunctioned and asphyxiated her, leading to calls for stricter safety measures on such furniture. Helen Davey, a mother of two from Seaham, County Durham, died in June 2024 after the gas-lift mechanism of her ottoman bed failed, causing the mattress platform to descend unexpectedly and trap her neck between the mattress and the base, according to a coroner's report.
The Fatal Incident
According to CNN, Helen Davey was at her home when the fatal incident occurred. While she was leaning over the storage area of the ottoman-style gas-lift bed, the mattress platform suddenly collapsed, trapping her neck against the side panel of the bed's base. Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield explained in his report that Davey died of positional asphyxia, and it was later revealed that one of the two gas-lift pistons had malfunctioned, leading to the accident.
Her 19-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, was the first to discover her mother. In a statement read in court and reported by The Guardian, Elizabeth described the distressing scene: "I went upstairs, my mam's bedroom door was wide open, and I saw her lying on her back with her head under the bed." She detailed how she tried to lift the heavy mattress off her mother's head, but the faulty piston made the bed difficult to raise. Despite managing to lift the bed slightly with her foot and pull her mother free, Davey was already unresponsive. Elizabeth attempted CPR, but her mother was not breathing.
An ambulance was called, but paramedics were unable to revive Davey, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The police later confirmed that one of the gas-lift pistons, which is supposed to make the bed easier to lift, was defective.
Coroner's Report Raises Safety Concerns
Following the inquest, coroner Jeremy Chipperfield issued a prevention of future deaths report, highlighting the potential dangers posed by faulty gas-lift bed mechanisms. As reported by The Guardian, Chipperfield stated that the failure of these mechanisms presented a severe risk to life and called for immediate action to prevent further incidents. The report was sent to the UK's Secretary of State for Trade and Business and the Office for Product Safety and Standards, urging them to address the issue and ensure that manufacturers adhere to stricter safety standards.
In his report, Chipperfield warned that future deaths could occur unless steps are taken to improve the safety of gas-lift beds, which have become popular in many households due to their storage capabilities. He stressed that the defective gas pistons if left unchecked, could lead to more tragic accidents.
A Nationwide Safety Concern
The incident has raised widespread concerns about the safety of ottoman beds, commonly found in UK households. These beds feature a storage compartment under the mattress, which can be accessed by lifting the mattress platform using gas-lift pistons. However, if these mechanisms fail, as in Helen Davey's case, the bed can suddenly collapse, potentially leading to severe injury or death.
According to CNN, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) reported that in 2022, 147 people in the UK died after falling from a bed, and another 18 deaths were attributed to accidental suffocation or strangulation in bed. While these statistics cover a range of bed-related accidents, Davey's death has highlighted a previously overlooked danger—faulty gas-lift mechanisms.
Grief and Tributes
Helen Davey's untimely death has left her family and friends devastated. Her daughter, Elizabeth, took to social media to express her heartbreak, writing: "No words would ever describe how we are feeling. I can't even begin to process that it's real, and you're not just going to walk through the door." Elizabeth, who also has an 11-year-old brother, George, described her mother as her best friend and expressed her deep sorrow that their time together had been cut short.
"I hope you know how much I love you and that I'd do anything for one more cuddle. Until we meet again, my angel," Elizabeth wrote in an emotional tribute to her mother.
