Alcohol a factor in choking death

A man choked to death in a Chinese restaurant in Kenmare when a day out with colleagues last May turned to an "appalling tragedy…

A man choked to death in a Chinese restaurant in Kenmare when a day out with colleagues last May turned to an "appalling tragedy", an inquest was told.

The jury returned a verdict of misadventure in the case of John Calnan (37), Burran, Timoleague, Co Cork. The inquest in Killarney heard that high levels of alcohol in his system would have depressed his natural gagging reflexes when he started to choke on a large piece of beef.

Medical evidence detailed how a piece of partially chewed beef, 8cm by 4cm, was found in his throat.

Mr Calnan, a factory worker, was pronounced dead at the Chin Fong restaurant, Main Street, Kenmare, on May 19th at 9.44pm.

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Efforts by a nurse and two doctors, who were in the restaurant, failed to save him.

Toxicology results in the postmortem examination carried out by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster showed Mr Calnan had a blood alcohol concentration level of over 300mg.

Dr Bolster said high alcohol levels caused the central nervous system and the gagging reflex to be depressed.

It was not infrequent for people to collapse and die suddenly during a meal, especially when they had large amounts of alcohol taken, she said.

Joining in expressions of sympathy, Supt Michael Maher said this was a day out that turned to appalling tragedy. Coroner Terence Casey directed the jury to return a verdict of death through misadventure because of the high level of alcohol involved.