An inquest into the death of a man who crashed during the End2End bicycle race in 2019 has heard that mountain biking was his passion.

Painter and decorator Nigel Park died as a result of an accident at Ballacraine during the annual competition.

Coroner of Inquests Jayne Hughes read out a written statement from Mr Park’s daughter Nicola which described her father as a ’very humble person’ and a ’legend in his own lifetime’ who had developed a passion for mountain biking while caring for his late wife Vera. Nicola said he ’religiously’ entered the race, having completed it about 12 times. She said her father was a ’very capable and competent rider’ and that the family believed his death was a ’freak accident’.

She added that Mr Park - who lived in Glen Mona, Maughold - died ’doing something he loved and would not want blame apportioned to anyone’.

Mrs Hughes also heard from Jane Foster, a friend of Mr Park, who was riding with him during the End2End competition, which took place on September 8, 2019.

Ms Foster said that the 71-year-old was an ’unbelievably fit’ man for his age who often led the way during bike riding.

She told the inquest that Mr Park had gone over a jump at Ballacraine and went over the handlebars on landing.

bleeding

Ms Foster got off her bike and sought to help Mr Park who she said had a weak pulse and was bleeding from the head.

Robert Bell, who was a volunteer marshal at the obstacle where Mr Park crashed, said he had walked the area several times during the day and that there were not rocks or anything else on the course that may have caused the crash and said that the ground was good.

Mr Bell said that ’most riders slowed down and rolled down’ the jump. However, Mr Park was one of many who did the ramp.

He added that the front wheel of Mr Park’s bike hit the ground as he landed and he went over the handlebars, landing on his head.

When he approached Mr Park, he said he ’could see he was unconscious and not breathing’.

Mr Bell revealed during Friday’s full inquest that he had volunteered through his rugby club, but no formal training had been given even though it was his first year of marshalling the race.

He said the volunteer marshals ’just show up on the day’ and get given a list of numbers to call in the event of any incident occurring.

Dr Jonathan Walker, a consultant anaesthetist who visited from Liverpool to take part in the End2End, said he arrived shortly after Mr Park’s crash and offered his help to those attempting first aid.

He, along with other medical professionals and volunteers, made attempts to save Mr Park, but Dr Walker described him as having ’blood in his airways’ and said his pupils were dilated.

Dr Walker also praised the efforts and organisation of the marshals and St John Ambulance.

In the post mortem report, the pathologist at Noble’s Hospital said Mr Park’s injuries included a fractured skull and fractures to the vertical column, injuries consistent with a crash or fall from a mountain bike.

The final evidence Mrs Hughes heard came from Paul Whittaker, a health and safety inspector.

Mr Whittaker said he had never needed to investigate the race before and praised the organisers, saying from a professional point of view he ’wished this is how every event was organised’.

He said that there were no issues with signage around the course, which indicated the difficulty of any approaching obstacles.

However he did say that he was surprised to hear that marshals for the event had received no training.

marshals

Mr Whittaker said he would ’expect’ organisers to outline what is expected from marshals on the day of the race. He also confirmed that the race organisers have accepted all of his recommendations for future races, but stressed that none of these changes would have prevented Mr Park’s death.

In her verdict, Mrs Hughes ruled that Mr Park’s death was an accident which even with his experience, could have happened to anyone.

However, the Coroner said she ’shared the concerns of Mr Whittaker’ over a lack of training for marshals and would be recommending to event organisers that training should be given and less experienced marshals should be ’supervised’ by more experienced ones.

Mrs Hughes added that, due to Mr Park’s injuries, ’the lack of training made no difference here, but it could do in the future’.