A RETIRED rail worker who died suddenly had been suffering from a chest infection which ‘probably added strain to his heart’.

David Rankine, 76, was discovered dead at the bottom of the stairs at his home on Millholme Avenue in Carlisle on December 11 last year.

An inquest held at Cockermouth Coroners’ Court heard that Mr Rankine, a retired British Rail worker, was a ‘football lover’ and had been to watch his grandson play football on December 3.

His son, David Rankine Jnr said he ‘appeared to be fit and healthy’ but was slightly out of breath.

On December 5, he spoke to his father over the phone and Mr Rankine Snr said he got some tablets that morning. He sounded ‘a little out of breath’.

Mr Rankine Jnr messaged his father on December 10 but didn’t receive a reply. He became concerned that he couldn’t reach him.

Police were then called to a report of a sudden death on December 11. Mr Rankine Snr was located by officers at the bottom of the stairs.

A bedside table had been disturbed at the top of the stairs. Police believed he had potentially lost his balance at the top of the stairs, knocked the bedside table over and fallen down the stairs.

Mr Rankine’s GP said that he had attended the medical practice on December 4. He was ‘chesty’ and had shortness of breath. He had been given antibiotics.

Mr Rankine had a history of heart block and his heart rate was fluctuating that day. He had a chest infection, the inquest heard.

Dr Nicholas Shaw, assistant coroner for Cumbria, said there were no signs of injury from falling down the stairs. Marks on his legs suggested he slid down the stairs, rather than falling down them.

Dr Shaw said the chest infection had probably put extra strain on his heart.

A postmortem report gave the cause of death as ‘unascertained’. Dr Shaw found the cause of death was a ‘sudden arrhythmic event’ due to heart block and a chest infection.

The coroner concluded that Mr Rankine’s death was due to natural causes.