Flood death men overcome by fumes

A father and son who died pumping flood water from a Gloucestershire rugby club's beer cellar were overcome by carbon monoxide, an inquest found.

Bramwell Lane, 64, and Christopher Lane, 27, had been using a petrol pump to fight rising water in the Tewkesbury Rugby Club during the July 2007 floods.

The inquest in Gloucester heard Mr Lane and his son met the same fate, post-mortem examinations revealed.

The Gloucestershire coroner has recorded verdicts of accidental death.

Mr Lane, a retired accountant who "lived for the club" for which he was also treasurer, was found floating waist-deep in the water, with kegs bobbing alongside.

Firefighters said the divorcee probably waded in to help his son Chris, a sewerage operative with Severn Trent, after he got into difficulties when he was overcome by fumes on the night of 25 July.

The alarm was raised the next morning when Mr Lane's car was spotted still parked outside the club, in Gander Lane.

The pair, both of Lime Road, Walton Cardiff, near Tewkesbury, were discovered by committee member Peter Bytheway.

Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore recorded verdicts of accidental death, and said: "I'm quite satisfied that in an attempt to do a good deed, Bramwell and Chris Lane exposed themselves to the danger of inhalation of carbon monoxide gas and in doing so they were overcome by that gas and were effectively poisoned to death by it."

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