Mum-of-two suffocated to death by her own bed in freak accident

A woman was found dead by her 19-year-old daughter, trapped in her own bed in a freak accident that cost her life. WARNING: Graphic

WARNING: Graphic

A British mum of two was killed after being suffocated by her own bed in a freak accident, an inquest has heard.

Helen Davey died when she became stuck between the mattress and the base of an Ottoman bed on June 7.

Ms Davey, 39, had been leaning over the storage area when the raised mattress platform “unexpectedly” came crashing down, the BBC reported.

The beauty salon owner, from northeast England, was found by her daughter, Elizabeth Davey, 19, known as Betty.

She also leaves behind her son, George, 11.

Helen Davey died when she became stuck between the mattress and the base of an Ottoman bed. Picture: Facebook

Senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said one of the bed’s two gas-lift pistons was “defective”, and has called on the government to act to prevent future deaths, The Sun reported.

In his post-inquest report, Mr Chipperfield said: “The deceased was leaning over the storage area of an Ottoman-styled ‘gas-lift bed’ when the mattress platform descended unexpectedly, trapping her neck against the upper surface of the side panel of the bed’s base.

“Unable to free herself, she died of positional asphyxia.”

The 39-year-old’s daughter found her ‘lying on her back with her head turned under the bed’. Picture: Facebook

Betty had recalled the horror of finding her mother trapped in the bed to the court.

“I went upstairs, my mum’s bedroom door was wide open and I saw her lying on her back with her head turned under the bed,” she explained.

“Her legs were bent as if she was trying to get up. I dropped everything that I was holding and tried to lift the top of the bed off her head.

“The bed was no longer a soft close and could fall heavily if it was released. It was so heavy for me to lift it up and try to pull her out.

“I managed to lift it up enough to use my foot to support it. I noticed that her face was blue with a clear indent on her neck from the frame.”

The British mother-of-two was unable to free herself and died of positional asphyxia. Picture: Facebook

Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield said one of the bed’s two gas-lift pistons were ‘defective’ and warned manufacturers action needs to be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Picture: Facebook

Ottoman beds have mattresses that can be raised by gas-lift hydraulics, and are popular because of the storage space under the platform that allows clothes and bedding to remain out of sight, the New York Post reported.

The coroner wrote that the fatal malfunction was a “matter of concern”, warning that “unless action is taken” to address the issue, the “existence and use of gas piston bed mechanisms presents risk to life”.

“In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken,” Mr Chipperfield wrote in the report. “In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you.”

Eighteen people in the United Kingdom died from strangulation or suffocation in bed in 2022, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents told the BBC.

Nearly 1000 Australians are badly injured each year as a result of furniture malfunctions, according to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Head injuries, crush injuries, and suffocation are the main causes of death as a result of toppling furniture.

Originally published as Mum-of-two suffocated to death by her own bed in freak accident