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    • Pensioner who was blown up by helicopter in hospital dies
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    Pensioner who was blown up by helicopter in hospital dies

    Harry Posted on

    Jean Langan was visiting the hospital to get a hearing aid fitted

    University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth.
    University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. (Picture: Matt Gilley/Plymouth Live.)

    A woman died after being blown up by a search and rescue helicopter that landed at a hospital, an inquest jury heard. Jean Langan, from Liverpool, had gone to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, to have a hearing aid fitted and was walking with her nephew to their car in the hospital car park on March 4, 2022.

    The 87-year-old’s family said in a statement that both Ms Langan and her nephew Gael “were blown up by water coming from the helicopter”. A statement read to Exeter Coroner’s Court by retired senior coroner Ian Arrow said mother-of-three Ms Langan suffered fatal head trauma and died a short time later.

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    Mr Arrow told the inquest jury that Miss Langan was a retired civil servant living in Plymouth. He said: “Shortly before her death Ms Langan was in the hospital car park. A search and rescue helicopter carrying a patient was landing at the nearby hospital helipad. “Miss Langan was blown into the air by the impact of the fast moving air created by the helicopter landing.”

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    Mr Arrow said the incident was being investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which had issued a report. He told jurors that they would not investigate matters the AAIB had already examined, meaning no evidence would be taken from witnesses about when Ms Langan was injured.

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    The coroner read a statement from Ms Langan’s family, who attended the hearing, which began at Devon County Hall in Exeter on Monday. They described their shock at her “sudden and violent death” and said Ms Langan was an important part of their family.

    They told the inquest: “Jean was the most senior member of our family. It has always been there throughout our lives. The violent manner of his death affected us all.

    “He hated the publicity created by the circumstances surrounding his death. As a result, he lost the quiet dignity of his choice.”

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    The statement described how Ms Langan “cares” about the children in her family, including her three grandchildren. It was stated that he lived in his home for more than 30 years after retiring from the Civil Service, where he was known for his “efficiency”.

    Miss Langan’s family said: “She was always on the go” and described her as an expert knitter who walked the family dog ​​every day. They added: “Jean was old and we knew we would lose him one day. However, the way he died affected us deeply. Jean wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

    The inquest jury watched CCTV footage from the hospital car park showing people walking next to the wall of the helipad. As the search and rescue helicopter landed on the helipad, the injured were seen falling to the ground.

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    Ministry of Internal Affairs pathologist Dr. Amanda Jeffery told the inquest Ms Langan had suffered “significant” head trauma. She said: “Ms Langan had attended a routine audiology appointment at Derriford Hospital with her niece and was returning to their parked car when a helicopter came down.

    “Ms. Langan was knocked off her feet, causing her to fall onto her back.” Dr Jeffery said Ms Langan died approximately three and a half hours after the incident and the medical cause of death was head trauma. The investigation, which is expected to last five days, is ongoing.

    Harry
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