The death of a UK man in 2022 after he tumbled 12ft at TopGolf in Essex, England after being pushed by a friend has been ruled an accident at a recent inquest.
On Thursday, May 23, Essex Senior Coroner Lincoln Brookes ruled that Conner Groom’s death was an accident, BBC News and Essex live reported. According to the British Coroner’s Guide, accidental death occurs “due to some deliberate human act that unexpectedly and unintentionally goes wrong.”
The accident occurred as a result of “drunken but not foul play,” the coroner’s report says, reports the BBC.
A groom fell about 12 feet after his best friend pushed him over a safety net at TopGolf in Chigwell, Essex, on December 21, 2021.
The couple were at a Christmas party where their group was allegedly “drinking heavily” when his best friend pushed him as a prank. Per Essex livethe video shows a group of friends in good spirits, jokingly trying to push themselves onto the safety net before Groom falls.
“Several times it shows friends trying to push each other into a safety net. It was clearly taken as a joke,” Detective Inspector Lydia George said during the inquest. She also noted that staff at the golf course approached the group and asked them to stop “messing around.”
Groom suffered a traumatic cervical spinal cord injury and hypoxic brain injury from the 12-foot fall.
He was rushed to the Royal London Hospital, where he spent a month before dying on January 25, 2022.
In his ruling, Brookes said the evidence showed that the “last thing” Groom’s friend wanted was for him to die.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
According to a safety official during the investigation, TopGolf “enhanced its staff training on potential health risks” for its staff following Groom’s death, BBC News reported.
Additionally, if a guest is seen pushing someone into the safety net, they will be removed.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education