BBC News reports

Marine's death by natural causes
A Royal Marine who collapsed and died during a rugby match in Devon last year had a rare heart condition, an inquest was told.
Craig Hodgkinson from Strathblayne, near Glasgow played rugby at international level for the Marines.

A routine test had shown an abnormal heart rhythm, but the 27-year-old remained in the Gulf aboard HMS Bulwark instead of flying home for treatment.

A verdict of death by natural causes was recorded at the Plymouth inquest.

Marine Hodgkinson fell to the ground 30 minutes into the annual rugby match between the Royal Navy and Cornwall County.

Genetic link

Acting Plymouth coroner Mr Ian Arrow watched two videos of the game which showed the marine collapsing onto his knees after walking back from a missed tackle.

Pathologist Dr Carl Lyons told the inquest heart specialist Dr Mary Sheppard had found apparently healthy muscle inside the organ had become fibrous.

She concluded Marine Hodgkinson died from Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy, which may be linked to a genetic condition called Brugada Syndrome.

Surgeon Lt Cdr James McIntosh, the ship's doctor on HMS Bulwark, said the heart abnormality was spotted in March last year during a routine ECG test for a diving course.

The results were sent to Surgeon Cdr Nick Fisher at the North Hampshire Hospital, but appointments for more advanced echo ECG in April and May were not kept.

Dr McIntosh told the inquest: "I discussed it with Craig and it was felt appropriate to defer the appointments on the grounds of deployment overseas."

Recall failure

A new appointment should have been made when Marine Hodgkinson returned to Britain, but it was not.

Hospital records were incorrect and showed he had failed to attend rather than cancelled and no further appointment was offered.

"HMS Bulwark's written recall system was not activated because the referral was not internally generated and he was not placed on the list of outstanding hospital appointments," Dr McIntosh said.

"Because North Hants Hospital is outside the defence medical service there was no signal to identify things like appointments."

A Royal Navy board of inquiry has recommended new safeguards to ensure this does not happen in the future.

After the inquest Mr Hodgkinson said: "We are very devastated at the loss of our son. He died doing what he loved, playing rugby."

Mr Hodgkinson has arranged a charity rugby match in May to raise money to buy defibrillators for rugby grounds across Scotland.

This article was posted on 3-Apr-2007, 07:58 by Hugh Barrow.