Praise for 'brave' rescue attempt

The inquest heard the fire service wants old chip pans replaced

A coroner has commended two men who tried to save a family member who died in a fire caused by a chip pan.

Sean Bowers, 24, started cooking chips at his home in Penyffordd, near Holywell, Flintshire, after a night out celebrating his brother's birthday.

The Mold inquest heard his brother Gary Bowers and step-father Tommy Rogers risked their lives trying to reach him.

Coroner John Hughes said the men were "incredibly brave", and recorded a verdict of accidental death.

He added that fire services wished they could ban the old-fashioned chip pans and replace them with modern, thermostatically-controlled versions.

You both were incredibly brave...it took a great deal of courage to go into a situation like that Coroner John Hughes

The inquest heard how Gary Bowers was dressed in his boxer shorts with a wet towel wrapped around his head as he crawled under thick smoke and found his brother collapsed in October 2007.

He said: "I saw his outstretched hand at the kitchen door. I managed to crawl to where he was.

"I tried to speak to him but there was no response. I tried to drag him out but I could not."

He said his brother weighed 14.5 stones (92kg), adding: "I could not pull him.

"I could not breathe. My hair was stinging, the towel on my head had dried."

As flames approached him Mr Bowers crawled out and his step-father, wearing a soaked duffle coat, tried to get into the house.

But he got into difficulties and his step-son managed to pull him free by the ankles.

The coroner said: "You both were incredibly brave.

"It took a great deal of courage to go into a situation like that."

Funding

Fire investigator Stephen Lambert said North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the brigade old chip pans replaced.

The coroner said the victim's mother, step-father and nephew had been asleep in the house at the time, but were saved after neighbours raised the alarm.

The inquest heard that Sean Bowers died rapidly from soot inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The tragedy came just two months after his partner Carla Roberts, of Bagillt, died of breast cancer.