Inquest Begins After Man Dies on Golf Course

An inquest has begun into the death of a 79-year-old man after an incident at Whitsand Bay Golf Club in Portwrinkle, a small coastal village in south-east Cornwall.

The inquest was opened by Senior Coroner Ian Arrow at Plymouth Coroner's Court. During which Mr Arrow described that Mr Roy Morris, a Royal Air Force retiree of Bluebell Close in Saltash, suffered a fatal spinal injury as a result of an accidental fall.

The Coroner described the tragic incident that took place on 09 August 2022 and explained that Mr Morris fell from the motorised scooter that carried his clubs when travelling through a bend on the golf course property. Mr Morris reportedly sustained the fatal injuries after hitting his head and neck on a nearby rock. 

Paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service attended the scene where Mr Morris was then transported to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Despite the best efforts of specialised hospital staff, Mr Morris sadly passed away five days later on 14 August 2022 at 12.40am. The cause of death was recorded as cervical spinal cord injury, cervical spinal fracture, as a result of an accidental fall.

The inquest was adjourned to allow for the Coroner to undertake the investigation and prepare a file ahead of a full hearing at a later date. Its purpose is to understand the full circumstances surrounding the death and the deceased and to determine all essential facts. Once the inquiry has concluded, a date for the full hearing will be agreed with Plymouth Coroner's Court.