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Ramsgate camping trip at Nethercourt Touring Park ended in tragedy for Rachel Adderson

11:08, 24 October 2019

updated: 14:04, 30 October 2019

A mum-of-two died in a tent while on a camping trip to a holiday park in Ramsgate.

Rachel Adderson, 36, had travelled to Nethercourt Touring Park with friend Terrence Davison when tragedy struck in June.

Rachel Adderson died in June
Rachel Adderson died in June

An inquest into her death was told she was discovered lifeless in the tent by Mr Davison two hours after she had been seen coughing up brown mucus.

Paramedics were called and performed CPR, but Ms Adderson – who lived in Norwich and was an alcoholic – could not be saved.

The hearing at Canterbury Coroners’ Court was told she and Mr Davison had been drinking heavily the day before her death, both ahead of their arrival in Ramsgate and while at the campsite in Nethercourt Hill

Taking a coach down from Norfolk, Ms Adderson drank a flask of Bourbon whisky on the road and a large glass of white wine in London.

After arriving at the holiday park on the evening of June 23 they continued to drink and smoke cannabis before calling it a night in the early hours.

Assistant coroner Ian Goldup read out a statement from Mr Davison, describing the events of the following day, during which Ms Adderson was mostly asleep.

Nethercourt Touring Park in Ramsgate
Nethercourt Touring Park in Ramsgate

"I woke up about 9am and noticed she was breathing," he said.

"I went to a nearby Tesco Express to buy some cigarettes and alcohol and spent the rest of the day relaxing at the campsite.

"At about 5pm Adderson was snoring and she was clearing some spittle from the back of her throat.

"At about 7pm she started coughing up some brown mucus. As she was on her back at the time, I moved her on to her side in the recovery position and then fell asleep.

"Soon after this at about 9pm I woke up saw her not breathing and her skin felt clammy.

"I dialled 999 and tried CPR but she was unresponsive."

Paramedics were called but Ms Adderson was pronounced dead shortly before 10pm.

Rachel Adderson was a chef and mum-of-two
Rachel Adderson was a chef and mum-of-two

The inquest heard she had suffered with depression and anxiety and was an alcoholic who had previously tried to stop drinking.

She had begun to turn her life around and was working in a pub as a chef.

The hearing was told she had been fasting before her death, but no explanation as to why was given.

Mr Goldup ruled her alcoholism and lack of food had caused a condition called ketoacidosis – in which blood pH levels drop.

This in turn had brought on the pneumonia which killed her.

For more information on why we cover inquests, click here

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