1 week Ago
A woman tragically died after being submerged in a river for 10 minutes. Tina Hanson was just 39 when she died on November 8, 2023. That afternoon Ms Hanson was seen walking naked in the Broughton area of Salford, before entering the River Irwell.
She spent at least 30 minutes in the river, 10 of which were completely submerged, before being retrieved by the fire service. Despite the efforts of emergency services, she was pronounced dead at the scene. Ms Hanson, who was of Oak Lodge, Little Lever, showed signs of life after the declaration of death and resuscitation efforts resumed, but after being conveyed to Salford Royal Hospital she was pronounced dead for a second time.
A two-day inquest into her death was held last week at Bolton Coroners' Court, on Thursday and Friday. Dr Eimhear Quinn is a consultant in emergency medicine at Salford Royal Hospital. Dr Quinn also works shifts for the North West Air Ambulance, and she volunteers for the North West Pre-Hospital Critical Care Charity.
The North West Pre-Hospital Critical Care Charity provides hospital-level care at serious incidents. Doctors volunteer for the service, and are called to scenes by North West Ambulance Service to assist. Dr Quinn said that the charity is "sometimes used as a second option if the air ambulance is not available".
Tina She was called to the incident at the River Irwell in her role with the charity alongside Dr Halden Hutchinson-Bazely, who also volunteers for the service. The inquest heard how a paramedic on the scene briefed the doctors upon arrival, telling them how long Ms Hanson had been in the water for. The doctors worked on the basis that she was suffering with hypoxia, which is a lack of oxygen in the body that can be caused by drowning.
It can damage organs, including the brain. Dr Quinn said: "After 10 minutes with a lack of oxygen, delivery of resuscitation is likely to be non-successful. "A prolonged period of hypoxia results in a very poor prognosis.
Once the cells die after being starved of oxygen, that is irreversible." All of the medical staff on scene agreed to end resuscitation at 4.44pm as Ms Hanson was continuing to suffer cardiac arrest despite the intervention.
Later on after medics had left the scene, firefighters and police noticed that she was showing signs of life, appearing to breathe and with a pulse being felt. Medical staff were called back to resume resuscitation. Dr Hutchinson-Bazely told the inquest that it was "highly unlikely" that Ms Hanson was breathing at that time.
Resuscitation attempts were recommenced and she was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, but she was pronounced dead again at a later stage. A toxicology report found that Ms Hanson had cocaine, heroin and cannabis in her blood, indicating those drugs had been taken at some time prior to her death. Concluding, Coroner Stephen Pemberton said: "Tina had a long history of mental health and substance misuse problems and had disengaged with supportive services on regular occasions.
"She had a lifestyle described as chaotic and a traumatic background. It is thought that she coped by the use of illicit substances." He gave a narrative conclusion into her death, saying: "Tina Hanson died as a result of drowning and hypothermia after entering the River Irwell on November 8, 2023 in a naked state.
"Her reasons for entering the river are unclear, but the toxicology report shows that she took substances at some time before her death, which is could have affected her judgement.".
