An inquest has revealed the tragic deaths of a father and son who perished after the climbing platform they were on collapsed suddenly. David Bottomley, 53, and his apprentice son Clayton, 17, were working on a building in Liverpool on May 19, 2021, when the platform fell 14 storeys from the 21st floor to the seventh. David passed away at the scene, while Clayton succumbed in hospital four days later.
Witness Thomas Blanchfield recounted seeing the platform gradually drop before free-falling, making noises akin to a rollercoaster or zip-wire. The post-mortem results indicated David’s cause of death as “massive blunt force chest injuries,” while Clayton suffered irreparable brain damage leading to a hypoxic brain injury, cardiac arrest, and multiple injuries.
Reports from workmen suggested that the platform fell due to brake failure. David, from West Yorkshire, had been a subcontractor for AAI Selby, a company contracted by site operators Laing O’Rourke, for 18 months, while Clayton was undertaking an apprenticeship with his father’s company. Eyewitnesses described hearing loud noises and seeing flashing lights after the incident.
Family friends described David and Clayton as inseparable, with a note near the site expressing a heartfelt farewell. The ongoing inquest includes evidence from various parties involved, such as the Health and Safety Executive, Laing O’Rourke, Adastra Access, and Nord Gear Ltd. The investigation aims to shed light on the circumstances that led to this tragic incident and prevent such incidents in the future.’
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