A mother of three died of sudden cardiac arrest after diving into a UK river for a $243 cold water therapy session, a UK court has been told.
Kellie Jean Poole, 39, was pronounced dead at River Goyt in Derbyshire, England, on April 25, in a session organized by UK-based Breatheolution, according to The Times of London.
The company’s website says the therapy can improve mental health, relieve stress and boost the immune system.
“Cold water therapy is proving to have a significant effect on clients, and although it may be difficult to include some uncomfortable sensations in the body, the benefits are incredible,” he says.
“Cold therapy and cold exposure are now proving to be very beneficial in many ways, from sports injuries to helping those suffering from severe PTSD or anxiety stop taking prescribed medications, not to mention what the cold brings. to our immune and nervous systems. “
It had been a mild day when Poole went to the session, but participants were shivering even before entering the river as they were only wearing bathing suits, Poole’s friend Victoria Fielding told an inquest into his death on Tuesday. the UK Times. .
Kellie Jean Poole, 39, a mother of two, was pronounced dead at the River Goyt scene in Derbyshire, England, on April 25, 2022kellie.poole.9 / Facebook
He said the group performed breathing exercises for about 15 minutes before entering the water.
Breatheolution founder Kevin O’Neill “approached each of us individually and asked if we had any medical conditions,” Fielding said, although he noted that they did not sign any waiver.
Initially entering the river, Fielding said Poole was “enjoying” the therapy, “laughing and laughing.”
But she later began complaining of a headache, and O’Neill advised her to splash some cold water on her face while he ran some water over the back of her head, her friend said.
The water was 51.26 degrees Fahrenheit that day. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Poole then fell into the water, Fielding said, and O’Neill performed CPR on her, but when paramedics arrived on the scene they pronounced her dead.
A post-mortem examination by Dr Abed Zaitoun recorded his death as sudden cardiac arrest caused by left ventricular hypertrophy, a thickening of the walls of the lower chamber of the heart.
Dr Damien Kelly, consultant cardiologist, explained at the inquest on Tuesday that the cold water, which was recorded at 51.26 degrees Fahrenheit, could have caused an irregular heartbeat which “incapacitated” Poole.
When asked by coroner Peter Nieto if he thought it was likely that the cold water caused the sudden cardiac arrest, Kelly said: “Yes, I think that’s what happened. It’s hard not to see it as relevant.”
Zaitoun also noted that Poole was considered obese based on her body mass index and that her heart was heavier than expected.
A friend of Poole said the group did breathing exercises for about 15 minutes before entering the water. Getty Images/iStockphoto
“In my opinion, everything is related to weight,” he said.
“The greater the weight of the body, the harder the heart has to work for that body. That, over time, increases the weight of the heart.”
Nieto said he does not blame Breatheolution’s founder for Poole’s death.
“I don’t see how it would have been possible for Mr O’Neill to foresee that Kellie would get into the difficulties she did and sadly die on the riverbank,” he told the inquest on Tuesday, according to the Bristol Post.
“Simply put, he didn’t know she had a very serious heart condition and she didn’t know it either, so I don’t think it’s possible to say her death could have been prevented.”
Still, Poole’s mother is now calling for greater regulation of the activity, which has been praised by celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Chris Hemsworth, Kendall Jenner and Madonna.
“I can’t believe these activities are not regulated,” said Diane Service.
“It’s a change that needs to come very soon,” he said, adding, “It’s too late for Kellie, but not for anyone else.”
Service said she knows her daughter’s death is “no one’s fault, but I just can’t believe it.”
Mr O’Neill also agreed there should be more regulation, telling the inquiry on Tuesday: “I have witnessed every possible reaction in the cold over the last three years, and it needs to be regulated.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn