A martial arts expert died after he fell and banged his head while trying to board a bus at Dublin Airport, an inquest heard.
Alan Ruddock (68), from Douglas, Isle of Man, slipped on a wet floor as he attempted to jump on to the bus during rain on April 2nd last year.
Dublin Coroner’s Court heard that the incident happened as passengers on an afternoon Aer Arann flight to the Isle of Man were being transferred to their aircraft by a single-decker bus.
Mr Ruddock, originally from Dublin and an expert in the martial art of Aikido, was returning home from Cork where he had been giving a class.
Fellow passenger Chris Byrne told the court that passengers were boarding at the rear of the bus in heavy rain when he saw Mr Ruddock attempt to get on while carrying a newspaper. “As he stepped up onto the bus it appeared that he slipped as the floor was wet. He immediately transferred the newspaper from his left hand to his right hand and went to grab the handrail but missed it and fell back out on to the ground.”
Mr Ruddock hit his head off the ground. He was seen bleeding from the ears as passengers and the bus driver attended to him and airport police and paramedics arrived.
He was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he was conscious but confused upon arrival. A scan revealed that he had fractured the base of his skull and was suffering extensive bleeding around the brain. His condition deteriorated and he died later that night.
The court heard that Mr Ruddock had recently been diagnosed with motor neuron disease. Investigating Garda sergeant David Tormay said doctors at Beaumont told him that this may have been a factor in the severity of the injury because as he fell backwards Mr Ruddock could “do little to brace himself”.
Sgt Tormay said protocols at Dublin Airport have been changed since the accident after airport police failed to notify gardaí of the incident.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell returned a verdict of accidental death.