Irish Pensioner Dies While Cleaning Windows

Sarah Phelan - granny who fell from apartment block in Avondale House, Dublin.

Pensioner fell through fourth-floor window she was cleaning: A pensioner tragically died when she fell through a fourth floor window she was cleaning, an inquest heard. Sarah Phelan (82) was washing a windowsill of her flat at Avondale House, North Cumberland Street, Dublin 1, on the evening of July 8 last year when the accident happened.

Gardaí believe she was attempting to clean pigeon droppings off the windowsill when she fell. Dublin Coroner’s Court heard from neighbour Mary McDonnell that she was sitting in her flat in the block opposite Mrs Phelan’s when the accident happened at around 9pm. She said that she could see Mrs Phelan washing the windowsill of the top floor flat.“A few minutes later she was hanging out of the cable wire shouting ‘help, help’. I ran around but when I got there she was on the ground,” she said.

She had fallen four floors to a small garden area directly below the flat window. Neighbours rushed to her aid and were performing CPR when paramedics and gardaí arrived. Garda Kieran Brady said that she was unresponsive at the scene. Mrs Phelan was taken to the Mater Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The postmortem found that she died as a result of major internal injuries sustained in the fall, including a transected aorta. Gda Brady said that gardaí are satisfied that there was no foul play involved in the death.

The court heard that Mrs Phelan was fastidiously clean and had a dislike of pigeons congregating on her windowsill. Gda Brady said that a cloth was found on the windowsill. When asked by coroner Dr Brian Farrell if he believed that she had fallen across the windowsill while cleaning it, Gda Brady said yes. The coroner expressed concern that the window ledges in the flat were very low and the windows could be opened fully. The family told him that the flat, which is a Dublin City Council property, has since been given to a family with young children. Dr Farrell returned a verdict of accidental death and said that he would write to the housing department of the city council to alert them to the issues raised about the windows at the inquest.

Irish OAP Dies While Cleaning Windows

An elderly woman plunged to her death after slipping while cleaning her windows.

Elderly woman dies after fall while cleaning windows: The 82-year-old was understood to be washing a window sill at her fourth-floor flat in inner city Dublin at the time. Witnesses who saw the incident at Avondale House on North Cumberland Street called the emergency services. Gardai said they were alerted to the accident at around 9pm last night. The pensioner, believed to have fallen on to bark cuttings but who sustained serious injuries, was rushed to the Mater Hospital. But she later died from her wounds. Gardaí said the matter was being treated as a sudden death. While a report is being prepared for the coroner, there is no separate Garda investigation into the incident.

Sarah Theelin (82), plunged to her death in Dublin's inner city last night while cleaning a window of her fourth floor apartment.

Tributes pour for OAP who fell to her death cleaning windows: An elderly woman plunged to her death in Dublin's inner city last night while cleaning a window of her fourth floor apartment. Sarah Theelin (82) was in the process of washing her window on North Cumberland Street at 8.30pm when the tragic incident took place. Known affectionately as Sadie to her family, the woman lived in the flat at Avondale House alone following the death of her husband. The pensioner, who is believed to have fallen into the park area surrounding the complex, was rushed to Mater Hospital, but later died.

Sarah, who hails from a large family of nine girls and four boys, was fondly remembered by her family, who described their shock. Tragically, the Dublin native had just returned from her sister’s nearby flat and was still wearing her jacket. “I can't believe it, I am still in shock,” Sarah's youngest sister Catherine said. “We had asked her to stay with us many times, but she liked living in her own flat with memories of her husband and they had no children.”

It is believed that the 82-year-old had moved a chair across to the window and stood up on it in an attempt to clean bird droppings from the glass using a cloth on a stick. She then lost her balance. “We are very surprised that she even made it up on the chair because she was crippled with arthritis,” explained Catherine. “We are all just devastated, she as a great sister and we were very close.”

Several neighbours told the Irish Independent how they heard the pensioner's cries for help as she desperately clung on to the window-ledge. Neighbour Stephen McCluskey (66) said he saw Mrs Phelan "hang on for about five seconds" before falling. "She was hanging on with one hand and I could see her getting weaker and weaker. She shouted, 'help, help' and then I started screaming for help and trying to get other people's attention but there was nothing I could do," he said. "I could see her panicking and I saw her try to put her right (hand) on the window-ledge as she held on with her left, but she was just too weak to support herself."

Mary McDonnell, who lived directly across from Mrs Phelan, also saw her fall to her death, with her daughter's friend Cameron Byrne (13). "I saw her coming down after she shouted out. She hit the ground and kind of bounced back up again for a second. Then we all ran out to her to see if we could do anything for her. "People said not to touch her because she was on her side in the recovery position," Mary said. One neighbour attempted to give the 82-year-old CPR while waiting for the emergency services to respond.

Mrs Phelan was revived for a time and taken to the nearby Mater Hospital. Mrs Phelan, who was described as a "cleanaholic" and "a devout Catholic", worked as a cleaner with CIE for over 50 years. She had lived all her life in the Avondale House flats and several family members also live there, including her niece and carer Audrey Teeling, who was the first on the scene. "She was always cleaning and couldn't pass a piece of dirt without picking it up," Audrey said.

North inner city councillor Christy Burke today paid tribute to the woman who he described as “very respected in the community”. “She was a lovely, low-key lady and is a very sad loss to the area,” Christy told the Herald. “She was a highly respected senior citizen and was very involved in the community and the type that everyone would know. “The north inner city community is deeply saddened by the loss and she will be missed,” he added. Witnesses who saw the incident at Avondale House on North Cumberland Street called the emergency services. But Sarah was pronounced dead at approximately 9pm. Gardaí said the matter was being treated as a sudden death. While a report is being prepared for the coroner, there is no separate Garda investigation into the incident.

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Tragic ... medics cover naked couple.

Chinese couple having sex against window fall to their deaths: A Chinese couple join the list of lovers who died while making love at bizarre locations. Reportedly they crashed out of the window of their apartment and fell to their death on the ground below. A reportedly steamy lovemaking session between a couple in Wuhan, central China, turned tragic when they crashed out of the window of their apartment and fell to death. Apparently, the lovebirds were having sex against a glass pane when the substandard window gave away under the weight of their passion.

The pair allegedly moved to the window because of the hot weather in Wuhan, according to reports. That day was particularly humid in Wuhan, that's why the couple probably chose to have sex by the window to keep cool, say reports. Eyewitnesses said, the couple both fell to the ground as they clinched on to each other. The photo which went viral shows the couple on the ground wrapped under sheets with blood spattered on the pavement. Medical staff and police officers are seen investigating the scene.

There has been no confirmation of the fatalities from local Chinese authorities, regarding the incident; if the couple did die while having sex, they join a list of lovebirds killed while making love in bizarre locations. The most pertinent is the incident at a village in Zimbabwe in March, where a woman, identified as Mai Desire, and her boyfriend were mauled by a lion, while they were in the heat of passion in the bushes. According to a report in My Zimbabwe: "Unfortunately the woman, who was also known as Mai Desire, was mauled to death by the lion, but her boyfriend managed to escape naked and he was only wearing a condom." Similarly, in another incident in Scotland, an identified man and a woman in her late 20s were killed when a train ran over them while they were having sex on the railway tracks.

Warning: Sex Against Windows May Result In Death - Honestly, this should go without saying, but apparently one couple in China did not see the danger in having sex against a glass window. The glass they were having sex against evidently gave way and the two tragically plummeted to their untimely deaths. Voyeuristic concerns aside, we’re not sure that having sex against a window is something we would ever really be comfortable with. Reports about his particular incident, however, suggest that the window in question was of poor quality to begin with. Anyway, the two reportedly held each other the entire way down, which we guess is romantic in a super morbid way.

Fatal Fall For Window Cleaner In Montréal, Canada

(Trois-Rivieres, Montréal) An accident has claimed the life of a window washer, yesterday morning at the pool pavilion at Expo Trois-Rivieres (pictured above). Around 07:30, Claude Lachapelle, 51 years old of Three Rivers, had a fall from about four meters while descending a ladder. His head broke the ground first - as he was not wearing a helmet, he had no chance.

His colleague was inside the pavilion & looked on horrified, he saw the victim fall, and then it was too late to rescue him. The police attended the scene to begin an investigation on behalf of the coroner. An autopsy will be performed on the body. The Commission on Health and Safety at Work will also be investigating. Amelia Larin, (spokesperson of the CSST), explained the cause of the collapse remains unknown. "Had he lost his footing or was he the victim of sudden dizzyness? This is the mystery for now. We will try to find out exactly what happened and we will analyze the work methods used to determine whether they were safe, "she said.

She said the job of window washing is always considered a risk. Since 2000, there have been three fatal accidents in Quebec involving window washers. Unfortunately, the statistics are much higher when it comes to falls from height involving workers in all job categories. In Mauricie and Centre du Quebec, there have been 370 falls from height in 2009 alone. "We know, for example, after three meters height, the worker should use a safety line, but again, it depends on the working environment. In this case, he did not need to use one because there was no danger. Also the cleaning was performed on a flat roof whilst washing windows. There was no risk of tripping over from the roof area, also a helmet is not compulsory for washing windows, "said Ms. Larin.

The CSST will inquire if the ladder was well positioned on the ground and if the worker had his hands free when scaling or descending the ladder. "These are rules that must be met: a ladder in place and hands free of any objects. The worker usually carries their equipment around the waist. The employer told us that the victim had always been respectful of safety standards but this fact will be checked to be sure, "said Ms. Larin.

The employer in question is "The Window Washer Laviolette", a company that has existed since 1930. Claude Thiffault has been the owner since 1955. "This is the first time in 50 years that such an accident occurs in my business", he said, even if his employees are used to washing the windows of buildings of 10-15 floors. "I can not believe it, especially since he only fell a dozen feet." "I do not know if he felt unwell, yet he was a healthy man." "He was also a good employee who had much experience in working at height." "He had worked on the CN bridges & he always respected the safety standards." "It must be said that on this subject, I'm a gentleman on the principles," he said.

More than an employee, Claude Lachapelle had also become his friend over the past two years. "He was always a cheerful man, who teased everyone, he never refused to work." "That is why we are in shock, even his colleague who saw him fall and with whom he often worked." "It is incredible that an accident happens to a guy with experience at this height," said Thiffault. Visibly shaken by this tragedy, the employer of the victim said he had lost not only an employee, but also a longtime friend.

Window washer falls to death in Trois Rivières: MONTREAL - A window washer in his 50s died in Trois Rivières Tuesday when he fell about three metres to the ground from his ladder, although he was reportedly observing all legal safety precautions. The man fell about 7:30 a.m. while working at the Piscine de l’Exposition on Gilles Villeneuve Ave., Trois Rivières police Constable Michel Letarte said. The man suffered a severe head injury and died. Amelia Larin, a spokesperson for the CSST, Quebec’s workplace health and safety board, said the victim’s colleague, and the only person nearby at the time, was inside the building when he saw the ladder fall and then his colleague hit the pavement. The victim was not wearing a harness because the ladder was leaning against a sloping roof about two storeys high, she explained. “A harness should not have been needed because when he fell he would (normally) have landed on the sloping roof” and not on the ground, she said. A coroner’s investigation, and the CSST, will examine the causes of the accident, she added. Since 2000, there have been three deaths of window washers who fell in Quebec. Two other window washers were seriously injured.

Another Window Cleaning Fatality in Minneapolis

Window Washer Falls, Dies in St. Louis Park: One man is dead and another injured after falling several stories from a building in St. Louis Park Thursday afternoon. The city says the two men were washing the windows of Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in the 6500 block of Excelsior Boulevard when they fell three stories around 3 p.m. One man was dead at the scene. The other victim was initially taken to Park Nicollet, before being transferred to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He is in serious condition. "Two workers working for a private subcontractor who was hired to wash windows here...fell from a scaffolding," said Park Nicollet spokesperson Jeremiah Whitten. The city says they're unsure whether the men were wearing safety gear. The company the two men were working for did not want to issue a statement at this time. The names of both men have not been released.

The workers were sub-contractors hired by Methodist Hospital to clean windows. They were up three stories from the ground on scaffolding when they fell in front of the hospital's emergency center, Jeremiah Whitten, Park Nicollet director of media relations said. The St. Louis Park police and fire departments responded to a 911 call made by a bystander at the hospital, Whitten said. One of the window washers died at the scene, but the second was still conscious and was initially treated at Methodist Hospital. He was subsequently transported to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, a level one trauma center. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner also arrived on the scene, as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), who is conducting an investigation. Upon request of the families, no further information is being released at this time.

Two window washers fall at Methodist Hospital - ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. - One window washer died and another was seriously injured Thursday after falling at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. Methodist Hospital spokesman Jeremiah Whitten said the two contracted workers fell three stories from their scaffolding at the hospital, located at 6500 Excelsior Blvd. Investigators and OSHA are at the scene of the accident, but the cause is not yet known. The injured window washer was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, where he was in serious condition Thursday evening.

Co-owner: Window cleaners had perfect safety record before fatal fall: The window-washing company whose two workers fell -- one of them to his death -- from three stories at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park had a spotless safety record, one of the co-owners said this morning.
"We've never had an incident," said Chris Bemis of Consider It Done Cleaning of New Hope, a company he started about 10 years ago when he was in high school. "Never had a claim on our general liability. We've never had a broken bone. We've never even had a broken window."

The men fell from scaffolding along the 40-foot-tall building about 3 p.m. One was dead by the time rescue personnel arrived. The other was alert and talking soon after the fall, then was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Bemis described the surviving worker as a "dear friend of mine" who has been in the business with him since start. Bemis declined to identify either worker, other than to describe them as in their 20s. Consider It Done has cleaned windows at Park Nicollet for about three years, Bemis said, and "nothing has ever, ever, ever happened." Bemis declined to speak about the circumstances surrounding the fall, citing the state investigation. In the meantime, he said, "the people at Park Nicollet are helping us try to find a way to help the families" of the two men.

"I don't know what to say until someone finishes their investigation," said Bemis, who added that the company helped him put himself and his wife through college at the University of Minnesota. "That's the boat we're in. We're trying to figure out what happen." A check of records by Minnesota OSHA this morning showed no violations for Consider It Done.