British man dies after cruise ship fall in South Africa

Stock photo, Cape Town: Rex

An elderly British man has died following a fall on a cruise ship holiday in South Africa.

Stanley Bryson, 87, left for Cape Town on 15 April to board the cruise, on which he would have sailed home.

Mr Bryson went on a sightseeing trip on the second day of the trip, where other tourists said he seemed unsteady on his feet and had to be helped a number of times.

That evening, following a dinner and reception, he left to go to bed, and fell down some stairs on his way.

He broke his left wrist and hip in the fall, and was taken to hospital.

But after the operation he developed breathing difficulties due to a chest infection, and also developed kidney failure.

He died from heart failure on 2 May, an inquest in Hatfield was told today.

Mr Bryson, who still worked five days a week in the post room at the Wetherspoon's head office in Watford, had type two diabetes and was overweight.

He used the money from his job to go on cruise holidays all over the world, including to the Caribbean and Alaska.

Coroner Edward Thomas told the Watford Observer: "The fall and the necessary surgery caused him to have a heart attack, but he was susceptible to a heart attack at any time.

"His kidneys were already weak and could not function properly which is not a surprise because of his diabetes.

"His body simply couldn't cope, and he died."

Mr Thomas recorded an accidental death due to a blunt force trauma to the left arm and hip.




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